CIGA Design may not yet have the brand recognition on the horological landscape as other established luxury tier watchmakers, but the industry and those passionate about timepieces certainly took note after the relative upstart took home a Grand Prix prize at the “the Oscars of watchmaking” with their 46-millimeter titanium Blue Planet automatic wristwatch.

Founded by Zhang Jianmin and guided by Bauhaus design principles to bring good design to Gen Z fashionistas on a global scale, CIGA Design have taken a foothold as an interesting upstart in the realm of timepieces. They’ve accelerated their presence by partnering with numerous designers of note over the last several years, co-creating signature mechanical watches that include Naoto Fukasawa’s stunningly spoked J Zen, Michael Young’s namesake timepiece the MY, and the 2021 iF Design Award winning Black Hole by Paul Cohen.

Their latest watch, the Eye of Horus from X Series is more bare bones in the designer name association department, but showcases CIGA Design’s intricate eye for details and precise self-winding engineering at an attainable price.

In spite of the complex transparent design, the back-to-front skeleton-style automatic mechanical watch keeps the design unfussy in the hours, minutes, and seconds complications department. Instead, the watchmaker’s newest creation centers around the Eye of Horus, iconography representative of ancient Egyptian mythology’s belief of energy, power, healing, and luck.

Operating as the second hand, the triangular motif turns and glows with a luminous green at night.

Housed within a lightweight bioceramic case, the watch invites admiration of its movement with a 360-degree view of the watch’s inner mechanics. Newbies to the horological collection game will benefit from the watch’s self-winding movement, subtracting the responsibility to regularly manual wind the watch.

An obsidian crown is a small additional touch tying together the ancient Egyptian themed motif. Only the watch’s noticeably flaccid silicone strap comes up a bit short, but it’s easily replaced with something more befitting of the original design.

The CIGA Design Eye of Horus is being offered in Black, Rose Gold, and Silver, available via Indiegogo for $199 before retailing for $270 in February 2024.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

“The name Precioso comes from thinking about the people and things that we hold dear to our hearts, the idea of caring and cherishing our loved ones,” explained designer Stephen Burks about the new two-piece collaborative collection for Salvatori. “It’s also about slowing down. We live in a world that moves so quickly that we often don’t have time to grasp the true wonder of the natural world that surrounds us. And, of course, stone is part of that. It’s the foundation of the Earth itself, and therefore absolutely precious. The photo frame is where we keep images of our loved ones, while the vase represents our love of nature.”

Precioso, Salvatori’s latest accessories collection, allowed Burks to explore this theme, building upon his first collaboration with the brand in 2021, the Friends and Neighbors mirrors, which share the same commitment to sustainability and caring for one’s neighbors. With Precioso, Salvatori embraces a language of diversity and individuality, as reflected back to us in the patchworks of uniquely individual stones.

The collection’s vase uses four rectangles of various heights that are combined to form a rectangular cylinder, a glass insert is placed inside to hold water. The frame is constructed with four rectangles of the same varying stone types and colors, and can be used in both portrait and landscape formats.

The vase and picture frame are crafted from a colorful palette of natural stones, including Verde Guatemala green, Giallo Siena yellow, and Rosso Francia red, juxtaposed against classic Bianco Carrara and Nero Marquinia. All of the stone has been sourced from production offcuts, which lines up with the brand’s respect for the precious material, championing sustainable design, and reducing waste.

“I’m thrilled to once again work with Salvatori on a project that puts the spotlight on diversity and showcases its direct connection to sustainability, as well as its inherent beauty through the incredible color palette provided by natural stone” says Burks.

To learn more about Precioso, visit salvatoriofficial.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

Jason Bird has been the Founder, Creative Director, and Managing Director of Luxxbox since 2006. There, he designs and manufactures furniture, lighting, and objects for both residential and commercial use. A long and varied career has allowed Jason to channel his own brand’s unique aesthetic of urban design using unconventional materials, industrial finishes, colors, and production techniques.

Jason’s career in architectural lighting launched in Australia. He then relocated to the US and designed for several major manufacturers, gathering loads of experience along the way. Once he made the return to his own practice, Jason focused on designs that embodied a visual display of strength through the exploration of negative space. Then he kept pushing the boundaries to create an individual style statement.

“When I was in school I always loved art, but was also fascinated by engineering,” he recalled. “I remember going to a career day and discovering industrial design and it seemed to all fall into place. Design seems at the crossroads of art and engineering.” Jason added how he feels “lucky that my work is my passion and design is so interwoven into how I live so it has never felt arduous.”

But given the chance to go back and do it all over again, he said he’d choose to focus more on conventional visual art. “It would be interesting to step into a creative space where the process wasn’t about producing something commercially or at scale, but just creating art for art’s sake. To have the time and space to explore visually and materially.”

Jason’s knowledge of lighting design and manufacturing have seen him receive international awards and accolades for large-scale public and custom lighting installations in Los Angeles, London, New York, Tokyo, and Australia. Meanwhile, Luxxbox has become a major manufacturer exporting to Asia, Europe, and North America.

We’re happy to have Jason Bird joining us for this week’s Friday Five!

Photo: Chloe Chavanon

1. Marcel Breuer’s Wassily Chair / Eames’ Lounge Chair Wood

Both of these designs have always fascinated me. In my design practice I am always looking at how to use materials and production processes in new ways, and these are both classic examples of this concept at work. The innovation of bending steel to make furniture was so unconventional at the time. Likewise forming plywood for a chair. These days, both are ubiquitous ideas, but they were really game changing at their release.

Photo: Courtesy Jason Bird

2. Northern California

I have lived in Northern California off and on for many years. It is a part of the world that really resonates with me. There is a lot which is reminiscent of home in Australia, but at the same time it has a distinct sensibility that I’m drawn to. The climate, weather, food, the riding, and the landscape are all so inspirational, but there is also a wonderful sense of community and compassion about the locals.

3. Music

It probably sounds very cliche, but music has always been a factor in my creative process. You could call me a frustrated musician, and I still play a little with my kids. I think that finding new music, discovering new talent, going to live gigs is really energizing. A current favorite is Fred Again. Fred Gibson is just endlessly positive and the way he mixes sound with video and performance is so innovative.

Photo courtesy Jason Bird

4. Travel

I travel a lot, both for work and pleasure, and I try to make each trip encompass a little of both. There is no better way to refresh your mindset. Getting exposure to new perspectives, talking to designers and business people, and looking at new angles is really important. The key to continuing to create innovatively is not getting blinkered by the environment immediately around you.

Photo courtesy Jason Bird

5. Family

My children really inspire me, still as young teens, watching them learn and grow. Teaching me things every day. Being challenged by the future, but working through that and projecting their better, positive view of the world. I hope that having design as an influence in their life will help them solve life’s challenges. After all, everyone is a designer.

Work by Jason Bird and Luxxboxx:

Cono Photo: Courtesy Luxxbox

Tessell Photo: Courtesy Luxxbox

Cono Photo: Courtesy Luxxbox

Georgina Photo: Courtesy Luxxbox

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

Bourgeois / Lechasseur architects are the firm behind this residence in Les Forges by the Saint-Maurice River in Quebec, Canada. Built within dense pine trees, the Des Forges Residence, which uniquely resembles a three-sided star or a triangular speaker found in many conference rooms, resides on the edge of a cliff with access from the main road via a long private driveway.

In Bhilai, India’s tranquil landscape, Atelier Varun Goyal designed The Courtyard House by seamlessly fusing design and functionality. Created for two brothers, this unique home redefines modern living while celebrating the essence of togetherness and individuality. The Courtyard House project was envisioned as two interconnected yet distinct homes for two brothers. The central courtyard plays a pivotal role in uniting these homes and preserving their family bond.

Photo: Jag Studio

In the the Galapagos Islands, SULA is a prefabricated A-frame cabin designed by Diana Salvador that defies convention. SULA’s two-month design build in Ecuador, resulted in approximately 2,000 custom-made components, held together by over 17,000 screws and pins. These meticulously crafted elements were then bundled into two containers, braving a voyage across the sea to Santa Cruz Island. There, SULA was erected over the span of four weeks.

Photo: Cameron Munn, courtesy The Pass Life

With its distinctive triangular shape and soaring roofline, the A-frame has captivated the imaginations of architects and homeowners alike for decades. The unique architectural style seamlessly blends the allure of nature with the cutting-edge design sensibilities of today. To celebrate this nostalgic design, we rounded up 10 remarkable modern A-frame houses that stand as testaments to their timeless allure.

Photo: Mikola Accuardi

If you search the internet for kitchen design inspo, chances are you’re going to get kitchens in all-white options, pale, muted colors, or wood being the prominent material. Then there are those rare finds where architects and designers really think outside the box and opt for a more dramatic look. We happen to love how sophisticated black can be in most modern spaces, and the kitchen is a perfect example. So, if you’re ready to jump into the abyss, we rounded up 10 modern black kitchens that might just tempt you to the dark side!

Photo: Tomas Dittrich.

Located in Prague, Czech Republic, House for Dorothy was designed by boq architekti who were brought in at the late stages of construction to design the interior for the family. The interior boasts concrete and wood as the materials of choice, which are topped off with playful details throughout. On the ground floor, the open living space feels bright and open with surrounding windows and sliding glass doors that lead to the outdoor space. The designers kept the color palette neutral with the use of white, anthracite gray, and natural wood, along with the occasional curated use of color.

Photo: Lamberto Rubino

Located in thecity of Kamakura, just outside of Tokyo, stands a pretty unique house, named A Cat Tree House. It’s a feline paradise designed for a couple in their thirties and their two beloved cats. Architect Tan Yamanouchi of AWGL has redefined what it means to design a home by taking inspiration from the clients, the four-legged kind, who don’t speak human language. Since the couple has lived with the two cats for ten years, the architects looked at them as more than just pets, instead as clients that had their own needs.

Photo: David Duncan Livingston, courtesy of v2com

California-based studio Gustave Carlson Design and Atlanta-based Atelier Davis were hired to renovate a local Eichler house in need of updating. Originally built in 1971 in the Palo Alto hills, the prized family home was a custom commission by architect John S. Lynd, a close friend of Joseph Eichler. The house received a respectful renovation that honored the history while adapting it for modern times.

Photo: Timothy Kaye

After an adjacent property came on the market next to a young family of five, they bought it to create their dream Hideaway House. They hired Cera Stribley who utilized the excavated lot to design an underground living space that could house everything an adult could dream of, including an indoor pool, bar and lounge, gold room, and gym. The original home’s basement has been converted into a new guest suite and connects the house to the new underground space.

And the most popular architecture post of 2023 is…

Renderings: UVISUAL

While still in the concept phase, this 484-square-foot tiny home design by Bologna-based firm STUDIOFEM was too good not to share. Architects Francesca Morsiani and Mujgan Merve Rinaldi designed The Mini with a proposed location in the village of Cavusin, Nevsehir, Turkey surrounded by mountains. Despite the project not being built yet, you all fell in love and so did we!

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

Like every year, Design Miami/ 2023 featured a stunning showcase and curatorial of pieces sourced from design galleries around the globe, inclusive of a very comprehensive collection of exquisitely beautiful furnishings and other homewares. My favorite pieces from this year’s design exhibition featured bold, colossal, and playful forms all utilizing an eclectic mix of fun materials – each very well distinguished from one another, all still oozing that unmistakably cheeky and cheerful yet unorthodox design aesthetic I’m enamored by.

Reimagining furniture with “alter egos” and giving them new life through elaborate and fuzzy textile adornments, Kingsnorth utilizes industrial production processes as a means of executing her oeuvre. Her creations incorporate sculptural art with anthropomorphic influence – personifying each creation that is also equally just as functional.

Photo: Courtesy Josep Vila Capdevila

Working with incredibly robust materials, multidisciplinary designer Josep Vila Capdevila of Aparentment designed the Breakwave chair to be used for protection + shelter, just as breakwaves redirect water from the shore of the Mediterranean Sea – thus incorporating a brutalist, industrial, and utilitarian design influence.

Photo: Courtesy Cristina Grajales Gallery

Photo: Courtesy Cristina Grajales Gallery

Inspired by the belief that furniture is another dimension of architecture, designer Sang Hoon Kim creates functional furnishings composed of foam executed in playful organic forms that are both geometric and asymmetrical in nature. Through scientific and impromptu production techniques, each piece is also inspired by spatial design – influenced by its surrounding environment while also creating it.

Photo: Courtesy THOMME By Nick Thomm

Engaging in the exploration of contemporary color systems, Australian designer Nick Thomm’s visual language is defined by fusing modern technology with traditional art processes, creating furniture permeated by a composition of epoxy resin coatings, executing a unique blend of abstract forms, shapes, and colors.

Photo: Courtesy James Harris for Design Miami/

Interior designer and singer, Bea Pernia, is inspired and enamored by natural materials and enjoys exploring the juxtaposition of various materials such as stone, porcelain, marble, metal, and wood. As an award-winning singer, the way Bea approaches design with layering materials, shapes, and colors is how she composes her music, and reflects on a similarity between the two creative mediums.

Photo: Courtesy Ippodo Gallery

Reimagining the kintsugi lacquer mending technique, Japanese artist Kodai Ujiie’s vibrant vessels are transcending contemporary Japanese ceramics. His unique wares are composed of chunky, organic forms and fueled by immense texture, shape, and color.

Photo: Courtesy Kohler

Fusing Sam Ross’s conceptual and avant-garde approach to design with Kohler’s timeless and conventional legacy of kitchen and bath products, this collaboration explores an amalgamation of new materials, forms, and colors – reassessing the thoughts and ideas of our familiarity with mundane, everyday objects.

Photo: Courtesy Lara Bohinc

As the 2023 commissioned designer for Miami Art Week, Lara Bohinc’s furnishings were artfully staged in Design Miami’s courtyard as well as throughout the Design District. With chunky, candy-colored colossal forms crafted from cork, the designer creates a cozy meeting place and entices guests to take a seat, relax, and reflect.

Photo: Courtesy Tadeas Podracky

Tadeas Podracky deeply values design authenticity with an inquisitive approach through his extensive material research. The concept for this stool is “change” which assesses how inanimate everyday objects can also be subject to growth and decay. Crafting by hand a nearly symmetrical wooden form, Tadeas also reimagines good design by reevaluating design approaches based on destruction and individuality.

Photo: Courtesy Rogan Gregory

Creating an unorthodox harmony with asymmetrical characteristics, Rogan Gregory is inspired by ecology, biological processes, natural + organic forms, and geology. The Meridian mirror, composed of bastogne walnut and bronze, is almost reminiscent of a deflated + distorted balloon, and is complemented by a coffee table composed of the same material and design ethos.

Photo: Courtesy James Harris for Design Miami

‘The Land of Light’ exhibition is a curated collection of monochrome sculptures reminiscent of miniature animals, created to illuminate and navigate through the darkness and unprecedented times. The sculptures are also designed to possess a unique super power, playfully personifying each one.

Tiffany Harrison is a multidisciplinary creative who is skilled in visual + literary storytelling. She immerses herself in artful endeavors with creative direction + design, drone videography, and prop styling. Tiffany’s work is super conceptual and is inspired by contemporary art, which she is truly passionate about. You can connect with Tiffany on her website and Instagram.

Nostalgia is one helluva drug. It’s especially true in the realm of gaming, where many once young gamers still harbor warm recollections of countless hours curled up with their favorite title slotted into their Nintendo Game Boy. It’s a memory openly tapped by boutique handheld and console gaming maker, Analogue through their various incarnations of clone gaming machines. The brand’s latest drop is one literally colored in nostalgia, with eight new hues inspired by the Game Boy Advance, tinting the Classic Limited Edition Pockets as possibly the gift to get for the gamer (and color lover) in your life.

If you’re not already acquainted with the Analogue Pocket, it’s basically an updated Game Boy equipped with a 3.5″, 615 ppi, 1600×1440 resolution LCD screen that plays back all of your fave retro titles at 10x the resolution of the original Game Boy. And you’ll have more than enough options to choose from, noting Analogue’s gaming machine is compatible with more than 2,780 Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance titles, not to mention the ability to play Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and Atari Lynx games with optional adapters.

The handheld also supports up to 4-multiplayer gameplay, comes equipped with a built-in synthesizer and sequencer, and furthermore, can be docked to play on an even larger screen: your TV!

Available in blue, green, indigo, pink, red, silver, yellow, and an autumnal spice orange, the entire Classic Limited Edition Pockets was color matched to their inspirational source – the Game Boy Advance.

Check out all 8 colors over at the Analogue online shop, but note there’s a 2 units per order limit of an already limited $250 release.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Presenting, your newest Instagram follow (if you don’t follow her already). Neng Iren is an artist based in Tangerang, Indonesia who does really incredible embroidery work. I’m such a fan of this piece which I could look at all day for all of the intricate details in each outfit. Her latest works are also just as detailed and wildly creative.

One of the best investments I ever made for my mental health was starting my backyard garden. What began as a ploy to get my kids to eat more greens that they grew themselves became a full-fledge love affair, the re-connection to nature that I didn’t know I needed. Richard Christiansen’s cookbook taps into that ethos – the garden as a source of inspiration, energy, and pleasure – and instantly became a favorite on my cookbook shelf. The 150+ recipes are all crafted by the local chefs that Christiansen tapped on to accompany the bountiful weekly CSA boxes that Flamingo Estate has become known for. Each one has been so beautifully photographed that it’s like your nose is triggered by your eyes; you can almost imagine the sensational smells wafting from each page. If you’re still looking for a gift this season, I’d highly suggest this cookbook – but don’t be surprised if you decide to keep it for yourself instead.

HOOPS, there it is! (I really couldn’t let that opportunity go by, could I?) I am a perpetual fan of CJ Hendry’s hyperrealistic drawings but her latest public installation has me excited to see her foray into this area of design. The public art resides in Miami and features a 20-foot column branching out into 34 net-less basketball hoops, reminiscent of a chandelier hanging from the sky. While some installations are fragile and warrant a “see with your eyes, not your hands” warning, this one is sound and sturdy, ready for a (very amusing) round of HORSE. If you’re not a fan… well, there’s a reel for you, too.

Have we recovered from Art Basel in Miami yet? I’m still catching up with all the art that was unveiled! One of the most memorable ones  was this sculptural painting which nostalgically brought me back to my Lisa Frank days. 3D printed in resin with acrylic paint, the artists share that “’Space is e_Turtle’ is a deity & living temple representing one of the main tenants of Ocean that time is not linear and past, present, and future are all occurring simultaneously. The sculptural painting exposes a cross section of the sacred turtle that acts as a portal to a living temple where idols and artifacts are displayed dancing a ritual through an altar like environment.”

When I first moved into our home, one of the first things I did was upgrade my IKEA dishware to East Fork ceramics. To this day, it still brings me daily joy. While I chose my set in a safe neutral (Eggshell), I’ve been wanting to add more color into my table settings and East Fork’s newest color, Henri’s Red, is perfectly fitting for the holiday season. The punchy red was inspired by founder Alex Matisse’s great grandfather, Henri Matisse, and is a limited seasonal color, so don’t miss out!

This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

Villa Lena is a countryside boutique resort and artist residency located in Tuscany, Italy, founded in collaboration by contemporary art collector Lena Evstafieva, her musician husband Jérôme Hadey, and Lionel Bensemoun, founder of Le Baron. Villa Lena is discreetly nestled within 500 hectares of lush woodlands, sprawling vineyards, bountiful olive groves, and flourishing organic vegetable gardens.

At its core, a 19th-century villa, originally constructed for an Italian aristocratic family, now serves as the headquarters for the Villa Lena Foundation and its artist-in-residence program. Encircling the villa, meticulously restored historic agricultural structures – formerly farmhouses, stables, and hunting lodges – offer self-contained guest apartments and shared amenities.

The essence of Villa Lena revolves around fostering creativity and collaboration through a diverse range of activities and events. These include artists’ discussions, family-friendly pursuits, open-air film screenings, cooking workshops, candlelit concerts, and poolside DJ sessions. Each evening, both guests and resident artists convene in the terrace restaurant for a communal dining experience that centers around a seasonal organic menu deeply rooted in Italian cuisine.

Photography by Henrik Lundell.

Leo Lei translates his passion for minimalism into his daily-updated blog Leibal. In addition, you can find uniquely designed minimalist objects and furniture at the Leibal Store.

You’ve probably heard of carbon neutral constructions – architectural projects promoted by designers, builders, and developers as a proactive countermeasure to the carbon emittance tied to new constructions and their lifelong impact upon a site. Such projects require a balancing act of calculations, costs, and choices made from start to completion. But what about a carbon positive building, specifically a hotel?

Scheduled for a 2024 opening in Denver, Colorado, Populus is set to become the first carbon positive hotel in the United States. The development purports to accomplish this feat by combining eco-progressive construction and thoughtfully chosen materials alongside collaborations with local agricultural and forest partners to sequester more carbon than the building emits throughout its lifecycle.

Designed by architecture firm Studio Gang, Populus will be constructed using low-carbon concrete mixes and high-recycled content materials while maximizing structural efficiency, using fewer finish materials, and minimizing waste to mitigate carbon emissions. The project’s carbon positive goals also factor in the sourcing/origin of materials used alongside the transport to the site, two carbon sources sometimes subtracted out of the carbon impact equation.

The towering perforated white hotel with a Flatiron Building wedge-styled footprint draws inspiration from the locale’s Aspen tree forests, with its unique windows imagined to echo the “Aspen eyes” of the trees while also optimized to aid in the climate control of the building in response to Denver’s varied climate. Studio Gang describes the texture and rhythm applied across the hotel’s facade as a structural means to “optimize the hotel’s interior, with ‘lids’ over each window extending slightly outward to offer shade indoors and improve energy performance.”

The hotel will feature 265 modern guest rooms, a ground floor restaurant, flexible event spaces, and a coffee bar within. Topping the construction will be the hotel’s signature rooftop bar and restaurant, one giving guests an unobstructed panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains, city skyline, and Civic Center Park.

Designed by Wildman Chalmers Design, Populus’ interiors are adorned with a palette inspired by the hues of the Mountain West, a warmly realized color scheme highlighted by the choice of complementary natural materials, undulating forms, and an Aspen-tree inspired theme complementing the building’s exterior elements.

With sustainability a primary objective, Wildman Chalmers Design looked for consciously sourced materials to provide comfort and an inviting aesthetic.

In theme with the hotel’s biophilic focus, the hotel will exhibit works curated by artist and environmentalist, Katherine Homes.

In reality, adaptive architectural reuse is the least environmentally impactful option when also factoring in the preservation of the historical context of a city/place. That said, new buildings will continue to be built, and projects such as Populus illustrate how proactive steps can be taken to serve the needs of not only the present, but in acknowledgment of the future, including planting over 70,000 trees in Gunnison County, Colorado in partnership with OneTree Planted vis-a-vis the United States Forest Service to re-introduce Engelmann Spruce to the surrounding landscape.

Populus will open in Denver in summer 2024.

“Just as the history of the world is filled with misery and suffering and war and disease, the history of printing and book design is mostly filled with garbage,” says Michael Russem, book artist and Visiting Curator of Graphic Design at the Katherine Small Gallery, near Boston, which is currently showcasing the iconic work of designer Janet Halverson. This is, in fact, a defense of modern book design: “When we look at the books about the history of printing and typography, we’re only getting the greatest hits and that tends to give the idea that things were better back then. But things weren’t any better: There’s always been terrible design, with a few highlights. So what’s wrong with printing and design now? What’s wrong with the world? We don’t know our history. We’re selfish and we’re show offs. These are things we can see in all sorts of design, not just book design. How do we fix it? I don’t know. Therapy.”



The Janet Halverson show is subtitled “An Introduction,” which is purposeful: Though the now 97-year-old designer created paradigm-shifting covers for some of the best known writers of the second half of the 20th century, she has not, Russem says, earned the public recognition she deserves. “She worked on all sorts of remarkable covers that will be known to people, but her name is known to almost no one,” he says. “She would work on all sorts of books for Jack Kerouac, and John McPhee, and Maya Angelou – so she was trusted and respected enough to get all these really big, important books, but she was not respected enough to be given any attention. Meanwhile, all of her male counterparts, who were working on books just as important, were getting all sorts of attention, but she wasn’t.” The current show, on view until mid-January, features forty of her “one or two thousand books.” “It doesn’t tell her [whole] story,” Russem says, “but I try to point out some of her tricks and her tendencies.”

Lettering by F.H. Ernst Schneidler.

Also in this Milkshake, Russem shares his favorite of Halverson’s covers – including a truly weird one for Jeffrey Frank’s The Creep – as well as the work of Eric Carle, who both wrote and illustrated The Very Hungry Caterpillar. He also shares some samples of Dick Bruna, who created Miffy, credited as the inspiration for Hello Kitty. If you love book design, this is one you won’t want to miss. For more, tune in!

Lettering by Stefan Schlesinger, 1939

Experiments with Letterform and Calligraphy (1997) by André Gürtler

Jurriaan Schrofer’s 1974 plan for a series of modular alphabets

From Fifteen Rejected Designs for a Tote Bag (Design Brief No. 6), 2021

Katherine Small Gallery: The front door

Inside the shop in the fall of 2022

Diana Ostrom, who has written for Wallpaper, Interior Design, ID, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets, is also the author of Faraway Places, a newsletter about travel.

Milkshake, DMTV (Design Milk TV)’s first regular series, shakes up the traditional interview format by asking designers, creatives, educators and industry professionals to select interview questions at random from their favorite bowl or vessel. During their candid discussions, you’ll not only gain a peek into their personal homeware collections, but also valuable insights into their work, life and passions.