Design Milk is happy to share the second lecture of the 2023/2024 academic year of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies Design Conversations Lecture Series featuring the multi-hyphenate, Richard Poulin. The Southern California designer, artist, educator, and author discusses his extensive career which has been divided between professional practice and academia. Having spent over 30+ as Design Director and Managing Partner at the multidisciplinary practice Poulin + Morris, he’s well-versed in all aspects of design, including graphic, environmental, interior, and exhibition. In the talk, Poulin discusses his “organic” and “fluid” generalist approach to design, and how he’s constantly evolving his approach in order to accommodate the ever-changing world.

His love of books and sharing design with the world led him to release, Rudolph de Harak Graphic Designer: Rational Simplicity, a tribute to one of the most influential graphic designers of the mid-twentieth century. Poulin goes on to talk about de Harak’s life and work, and the importance of history and why every designer should know about it in order to be successful.

Richard Poulin speaking at The Vignelli Center for Design Studies

Watch the full talk below to hear more about Poulin’s career, the life and work of Rudolph de Harak, and more!

WATCH:

Richard Poulin and Massimo Vignelli

Metropolitan Museum of Art shopping bags designed by Rudolph de Harak and his team

127 John Street, New York: Project by Rudolph de Harak and Emery Roth & Sons, 1968

To learn more about The Vignelli Center for Design Studies at RIT, they have launched digital access to the archives through Google Arts & Culture, joining over 2000 cultural institutions from around the world. The initial launch includes nearly 900 high resolution images of artifacts from the archives so that now anyone with access to the Internet and Google Arts & Culture can search the Vignelli archives or browse it by color or chronological order.

This lecture is presented with the support of RIT’s MAGIC Center.

This lecture series is made possible in part by the generosity of RIT Alumnus, Chris Bailey, and Bailey Brand Consulting.

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.

Entrepreneur, speaker, art collector, and curator Kristina Lopez Adduci is the founder and CEO of House of Puff. She created the New York-based cannabis lifestyle brand to offer products that resonated with her own personal preferences. Over time, she’s transformed it, harnessing the power of art to drive social change.

With such a broad range of talents, we were curious as to how Kristina makes it all happen. “You know, it’s funny – the shower’s where the magic happens for me!,” she shared. “Maybe it’s the rhythm of the water or just that quiet moment away from the world… and my twins. But that’s where my brain decides to shift into a diffuse mode of thinking. I used to make a mad dash out of the shower to grab my phone and scribble down those ideas. But now I’ve got this lifesaver – AquaNotes. It’s this cool, waterproof notepad that’s taken up residence right on my shower wall. Pure genius.”

If she wasn’t immersed in House of Puff, Kristina said she would likely pivot to producing. “With House of Puff’s YouTube presence, I’ve delved into the art of storytelling to illuminate our narrative and guide cannabis enthusiasts. Given the chance, I’d love to traverse the globe, weaving and amplifying tales from myriad voices and perspectives.”

And then there’s her flair for crafting delicious cocktails. “Pair that with my love for throwing parties and playing host, and I often find myself musing about opening a cocktail bar in my town, given its stark absence of quality establishments (seriously, no cocktail bars in my town). It’s a passion I’ll likely indulge in one day,” Kristina confessed. We can’t wait to see where all of her ideas take her next!

We’re happy to have Kristina Lopez Adduci joining us for this week’s Friday Five!

Photo: Loic Kernen ©2021 Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

1. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster

I’ve always been enamored by vintage Mercedes, their timeless design speaks volumes about a classic era in automobile history. I’m also an avid F1 viewer. So, cheering for the Mercedes team adds another layer of exhilaration. The drama and strategy on the track never fail to captivate me. I think the 300 SL Coupe is one of the most beautiful sports cars of all time.

Photo: Kelly Wearstler

2. Kelly Wearstler

One of my favorite American designers, hands down. Kelly’s design approach values history, location, and architectural integrity. But she isn’t afraid to take bold risks. We share a lot of the same design principles, I love a good open-plan concept and creating movement within spaces. She uses her intuition, and I dig that.

Image courtesy Columbia Records

3. Vinyl Records

I have an old phonograph that I treasure. For me, listening to vinyl records in the age of the digital download evokes memories from a different era. Edith Piaf is on constant rotation, especially when I’m cooking. Also, the large albums give way to beautiful artwork.

Photo courtesy Claridge’s

4. The Perfect Cocktail at Fumoir Bar

I love being transported back in time and a proper cocktail, and Fumoir Bar at Claridge’s Hotel speaks to both of those things. The bar was inspired by The Bright Young Things, that carefree generation of artists, writers, socialites, and performers who lit up interwar London. They were synonymous with parties. Under the watchful gaze of a Lalique panel, a fixture in The Fumoir since 1931, every exquisite cocktail is presented in its uniquely crafted glassware. Their martini is perfection.

Photo: Kristina Lopez

5. Dinner Parties

While the pulsing beats of clubs have their allure, I find genuine joy in the art of hosting. There’s an undeniable charm in gathering an intimate circle of friends around a well-set table, proper cocktails (and cannabis of course), good food, and music. For me, dinner parties are the new flex.

Work by Kristina Lopez Adduci + House of Puff:

Le Pipe One Hitter This was our hero product. I wanted a one hitter that I could fit into my purse or leave out on the table. Crafted for those who value discretion, it’s thoughtfully designed by a talented female artist from Massachusetts. The colors are inspired by contemporary art and fashion trends. Photo: Allie Pisarro-Grant

Sophia Wallace Collection Rolling Papers For Pride 2023, House of Puff teamed up with New York-based artist Sophia Wallace and Housing Works to create on-going support for the LGBTQ+ community. Our newest “queen size” artist series rolling papers feature images from Sophia’s installation, WE ARE HERE FOR THE REPOSSESSION. This artwork is part of an ongoing project she’s been working on for 11 years called CLITERACY. With an unflinching lens and infectious wit, CLITERACY asks us to recognize that everyone – especially those of us with clitorises – have the right to joyful embodiment. In addition to supporting Sophia’s art, proceeds from these rolling papers support Housing Works. Born from ACT UP, this nonprofit has been supporting homeless and low-income New Yorkers affected by HIV/AIDS since 1990. Photo: Allie Pisarro-Grant

Astory Hemp Wick Many are unaware of the chemicals emitted when using standard lighters and matches. To combat this, we’ve introduced our Astor Hemp Wick, designed with the elegance of a French macaron. This holder ensures your hemp wick remains tidy and easily accessible. After use, simply place it back into the designated recess of the accompanying round ashtray. The set is stylish enough to grace any occasional table. To use, ignite the beeswax-coated hemp with your butane lighter or matches, then use the pure, chemical-free wick to light up your preferred blend. Photo: Allie Pisarro-Grant

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

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.

Ninety years ago in 1922, the Kiyomizu Elementary School first opened its doors to welcome a new generation of Kyoto school children into an era of modernity. The reinforced concrete construction stood representative of Japan’s breakneck efforts to modernize and integrate hallmarks of European design on a national scale, a minor monument in stark contrast to the traditional architecture that still paints Kyoto with an enduring historical climate. The building still stands intact atop of the Higashiyama hillside in Kyoto, not so different from its storied past that a former student might still recognize numerous hallmarks of their alma mater, operating today with a purpose no longer so much academic as leisurely.

Transformed into The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu in 2020, the school has been reborn as a luxurious example of adaptive architectural reuse, welcoming guests seeking the best of Japan’s historical capital mere footsteps away from some of the city’s most famous landmarks.

The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu was once filled with the unbridled energy of children going to and from class, and it’s natural to conjure those echoes of the building’s past resonating through the hotel’s respectfully updated 4-story main building. That’s in no small part due to Tokyo-based Aoyama Nomura Design (A.N.D.)’s light hand in the building’s conversion. Led by Creative Director Ryu Kosaka, the firm kept many of the school’s original European-influenced historical charms for eyes to investigate and fingers to trace – Spanish tiles, large beams, wooden spandrel walls, arched windows, double-width tiles, and scalloped detailing. Most poignant are the smoothly worn wooden rails running across the hotel’s staircases, and other small telltale nicks and pockmarks documenting the building’s schoolhouse years inhabited by countless generations of students.

The view from The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu’s Library Restaurant outdoor dining deck, affording views of the garden and the newly constructed enclosed walkway connecting the hotel’s reception room with the main guest building.

All in all, the results are a laudable example of the greenest form of architecture, reusing much that was already there as a respectful reinterpretation of the city’s history.

To update the school into accommodations worthy of its luxurious intent, A.N.D. tactfully added numerous modern details, each curated to complement the building’s past without venturing into saccharine nostalgia.

Artwork by Nao Oshima

Artwork by Masaomi Raku

Contemporary art and furniture are intermixed with elements of vintage provenance coordinate to imprint the hotel’s reception, common rooms and hallways, restaurant, and bar with a sense of history that feels fresh rather than museum-like. New modern sections were constructed to house the hotel’s reception, staff facilities, and to host an expansive lounge where guests are afforded all varieties of complementary bites and beverages throughout their stay.

The hotel’s lounge operates as a common socializing space for all to relax after a long day of exploring Kyoto, with complementary beverages and snacks that change regularly.

A library-themed restaurant occupies a space that was once the school’s gymnasium and auditorium; a glance across and upward reveals the intact details of its communal space past, including wooden latticework.

The 48 guest rooms themselves are more openly updated to a contemporary finish, with a warmly modern-minimalist aesthetic embracing large expanses of wood and gilded wall treatments, with all the modern bed and bath amenities expected of a 4-star hotel. Similarly, guest services are exemplary upon arrival, characteristically Japanese in detail and care, while still being completely navigable by first time visitors who might still be practicing their arigatou gozaimasu (think: formal, but always friendly).

You’ll be hard pressed to find bathrooms as large as those assigned to rooms within The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu across Japan, some with sizable separate bath tubs and two basin sinks.

Nestled away just a short walk from Kiyomizu-dera, one of the most famous and celebrated temples in Kyoto, the ambiance across the hotel is relaxed and appreciatively serene, a stark contrast to the throngs of crowded streets of tourists that surround the property, making it an ideal home base for exploring the numerous temples, shrines, museums, gardens, and Kyoto’s shopping and dining district.

The rooftop bar serves various libations and small plates, complemented by a postcard worthy view of Hokanji Temple “Yasaka Pagoda” and surrounding historical Kyoto (including the enormous Ryozen Kannon giant Buddha in the distance). It makes for an ideal vantage to plan out the next day’s excursion destinations.

While traditional ryokan inns and stylish contemporary hotel options are aplenty to choose from across Kyoto, The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu stands as a satisfying compromise between history and modernity, a destination specifically imagined to “imprint memories and connect to the future” with the satisfying spirit of a yearbook in architectural form.

What: The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu
Where: 2-204-2 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan, 605-0862
How much: Starting at $611 for a Standard King with breakfast included.
Highlights: While all 48 rooms include spacious bathrooms and well appointed beds, the rooms affording a view of Hokanji “Yasaka Pagoda” are arguably the most scenic to fall asleep and wake up to. The hotel’s own Restaurant Library serves both Western and traditional Japanese breakfasts with a sizable collection of art, design, and historical tomes to nose through (we highly recommend the traditional menu for its beautiful presentation and delectable seasonal flavors). And you don’t have to venture far if you want other dining options: Benoit Kyoto, an Alain Ducasse French + Japanese restaurant adjoins the hotel site, situated just across their shared driveway.
Design draw: Kanjiro Kawai’s House, the preserved residence of the modern Japanese potter and ceramist is a short and scenic 10-minute walk away, with the POJ Studio brick-and-mortar store and the Kyoto Ceramic Center both nearby. If you light up at the mention of “lamp,” be sure to check out the lighting shop, Miura Shomei, where you’ll find where all those Western mid-century designer’s found their inspiration from.
Book it: The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu

Go virtually on vacation with more design destinations right here.

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.

Wash basins have always been traditionally simple, usually circular or rectangular in shape and in safe colors, like white, gray, or black. It’s time to bring in a new wave of design and UK-based company Kast is leading the charge. It recently unveiled its latest collection of concrete wash basins and they are anything but traditional. With undulating forms and curves reminiscent of the styles during the Italian Radicalism and Postmodernism movements, the Wave Collection breaks away from convention and brings individuality and playfulness into the bathroom space.

There are three designs within the collection: Tilde, Dune, and Prim. Tilde is defined by its integrated backsplash with a wave pattern that echoes the wave that forms the perimeter of the wash basin. Similarly, Dune also has a wave-formed basin but is absent of the backsplash. Its wider dimensions make it perfect for larger bathrooms that can give it a proper stage to shine. Finally, Prim rounds out the collection with a design specifically for countertop placement. All three designs are available in an impressive palette of 28 shades and are made with concrete sourced from local Derbyshire limestone.

Tilde

Dune

Dune

Prim

Prim

Tilde

Dune

Prim

To learn more about the Wave Collection, visit kastconcretebasins.com.

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.

The Chalon Residence is a minimalist house located in Los Angeles, California, designed by KES Studio. The renovation involved reconfiguring the layout and introducing new spaces to achieve a harmonious mix of traditional and contemporary elements, with a focus on converting an adjacent, partially-renovated property into a guest house.

The peaceful atmosphere of the home is largely due to the use of neutral materials such as limestone flooring, linen draperies, mohair upholstery, and wool and silk area rugs. A highlight of the space is the library, distinguished by its bold, high-contrast color scheme. The residence also boasts a carefully curated art collection featuring works by artists like Greg Ludlow, Jeri Ledbetter, Manolo Bellesteros, Clara Graziolino, and Audrey Samarin.

Among the residence’s luxurious features is a custom-built, curved wine room with a capacity of 350 bottles, finished in Black Eyed Pea stone. The primary shower, with its Calcutta Manhattan finish, is also a highlight with a focus on the space’s materiality. The living room and library feature the Nova rug collection from KES Studio, created in partnership with Marc Philips.

Photography by Ingalls Photography.

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.

With every product made by DANTE – Goods And Bads the brand hopes to make a connection. To create someone’s favorite thing or for you to feel an unexpected emotion. Manufacturing warmth through these talisman is what it’s been all about for founders Aylin Langreuter and Christophe de la Fontaine since 2012. The pair recently worked with Haus Otto, industrial designers Patrick Henry Nagel and Nils Körner, on an aluminum chair and upholstered wall hook – the AL13 and Hold On – as part of The Jetzt, a 2023-2024 collection about being in the moment.

The AL13 armchair is made from laser-cut and bent aluminum sheets, and can be used both indoors and outdoors. The flexible extra wide armrests play double-duty as small side tables that can hold your book or beverage while you relax or as a spot for your laptop.

AL13 Chair

AL13’s parts can be disassembled for repairs and recycling, aluminum goes through the process extremely well thanks to its properties. The lounge chair is also available with upholstered seat cushions and in a bevy of bright colors.

AL13 Chair

AL13 Chair

AL13 Chair

AL13 Chair

AL13 Chair

Hold On

Hold On, a minimalist upholstered wall hook, is horizontal storage that allows the user to attach daily items with a quick gesture. Now your jacket, dog leash, and keys have a place to hangout and look good while doing it.

Hold On

Haus Otto began their creative process for the Hold On hold-all with the idea of upcycling and reusing materials in a cross-disciplinary way. They chose to use geometric cut-out shapes from the production of other products, creating an entirely new application from material that would otherwise be wasted.

Hold On

Hold On

You can choose to install the hook either vertically or horizontally. Hold On is available in a sizable color palette and various finishes, including velvet, bouclé, knit fabric, vegan curly fur, and vegan leather. There’s a selection of configurations – two to four units – to choose from as well.

Hold On

Hold On

Hold On

Hold On

To learn more about Hold On or AL13, visit dante.lu.

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.

Cosentino’s new Dekton® Ukiyo collection features textured, linear fluting that brings a fresh, tactile quality and a distinctive depth and dimension to any space, be it residential or commercial. The Spanish global leader in the production and distribution of innovative and sustainable surfaces worked in collaboration with high-end interior and product designer, Claudia Afshar, to create the collection and bring it to life.

“Playing with texture is timeless, and it is so important in all materials, not just fabric,” Afshar shared. “I have always been inspired by the materials found in nature and making the spaces I design as comfortable, warm, and authentic as possible. Ukiyo is calming yet simplistic, and the colorways and fluting are romantic, but also contemporary and masculine to achieve balance.”

Dekton Ukiyo by Claudia Afshar in Bromo

Dekton® Ukiyo is inspired by Japanese and contemporary design, celebrating the art of minimalism and embracing the present. Ukiyo means to “live in the moment,” and the collection is designed to awaken the senses while evoking a feeling of wellness by achieving a beautiful, calm state within the space. It embodies a palette of emotions and sensations, showcasing a geometric, smooth structure that creates harmonious designs both inside and outside.

Dekton Ukiyo by Claudia Afshar in Rem

Offered in five colorways, Ukiyo is available in durable, ready-to-install fluted tiles – one of the first offerings of its kind in the industry. Bromo is a dark gray shade inspired by slate that features subtle, faded graphics and a crafted texture with a natural aesthetic. Even and controlled, Kreta pulls its look from cement, and can lighten or darken a space depending on the density of the pattern used. Umber is a terracotta hue with a natural reddish pigment that creates a warm, textured surface while adding character. Featuring subtle details, from fine micro-concrete to lime plastering, Nacre is a cream shade with lots of versatility. Lastly is Rem, an intricate design with brown and gray veining with hints of gold that reflect the traditional and linear structure of Calacatta Lincoln.

Dekton Ukiyo by Claudia Afshar in Kreta

Dekton® is the only cradle-to-grave carbon neutral solid surface on the market, sustainably manufactured using 99 percent recycled and reused water, 100 percent renewable electric energy, and recycled materials in its composition.

“Every day I strive to think outside the box in order to create something unique, yet special for each project. This collaboration offers just that, and I am so thankful to the entire Cosentino team for bringing this collection to the market,” said Afshar.

To learn more about Cosentino’s new Dekton® Ukiyo collection, visit cosentino.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.

Originally launched in 2021, the OE1 Workspace Collection designed by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of Industrial Facility for Herman Miller gave contract customers the ability to change and adapt their work environment based on changing business goals and personal preferences. The collection consisted of mobile tables, movable walls, height-adjustable workstations, storage trolleys, and more. Hecht and Colin have now expanded the collection, so not only can they outfit the modern office, they can power it too.

The OE1 Powerbox and the accompanying OE1 Power Tray create Herman Miller’s first portable power solution. Users can work from anywhere without worrying about being close to an available wall outlet or making sure their devices have been powered up beforehand. With three USB-C ports and a USB-A port, the OE1 Powerbox can charge multiple smaller devices or, with the OE1 Power Tray, power larger devices, including monitors.  A tracking device holder helps with facility management.

Also new to the collection is the OE1 Sit-to-Stand Table, a monochromatic, height-adjustable desk that looks and feels like it can belong in the home versus the office. Available in three shapes – round, rectangular, and rectangular with wrap – the desk features a discreet power foot pedal that allows users to adjust the height to their preferences.

The full expanded collection of the OE1 Workplace includes: the Freestanding Curtain and the Curved Screens to define boundaries, the Personal Hoodie to provide small space privacy, the Workbox to corral small desk objects, the Agile Wall Corner Cover to define worktop spaces for collaboration, and the Mobile Easel in a 48” size.

OE1 Powerbox and Power Tray

OE1 Powerbox

OE1 Workbox

OE1 Sit-to-Stand Tables

OE1 Sit-to-Stand Table

To learn more about the OE1 Workspace Collection, visit hermanmiller.com.

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.

“We create, as some say, once-in-a-lifetime objects,” says artist and designer Job Smeets. “And you know, I don’t dislike that title.” That spirit is hard-wired into the Belgian’s most famous pieces – ranging from a new video collaboration with the art pop star Mika to the Robber Baron collection from 2006, for which Smeets presented five cast-bronze furnishings (a cabinet, mantel clock, table, standing lamp, and jewel safe), all produced and polished to an impeccable gleam but seemingly destroyed in some way. The cabinet was ripped open by a “bomb crater.” The table took its shape from clouds of industrial pollution emitting from power stations similar to London’s Battersea. Beautifully, carefully rendered destruction, but destruction all the same. Created in editions of five, the pieces were less luxury furnishings than conceptual art pieces commenting on the corruption of the oligarchy across time, from the titular robber barons of the Industrial Age to the Russian power brokers of today.

In this week’s Milkshake, we speak with Job about reverse marketing, running his studio like a Renaissance guild shop, and what it’s like creating those singular objects. “I think the process is the same as it was 25 years ago, when I started,” he says. “I am always curious to find the next thing – or the next thing that never has been done, or has been forgotten. Or the next thing that should be ugly but maybe It’s not ugly. The next thing that could surprise me. The next thing that would make the guys in the atelier happy. The next thing is always the best thing you ever did, until it’s ready.”

We also asked him what it’s like channeling the same sort of energy and exactitude that powered the Robber Baron collection: “When I was young, I was always fascinated by those old big goldsmith studios and silversmith studios from the 16th, the 15th, and 17th centuries, which created huge, beautifully crafted, shiny, glossy centerpieces – tableware, whatever –  for the rich and famous,” he says. “Which is actually the same now, but at least what I find fascinating about it is the way those pieces were created, and that they still exist in museums. It was never a really big production back then – there were only a few [pieces] created. The whole idea of industrialization – and modernism – is obviously to create something for the masses, and that’s a very good idea. But for me, and for my studio, I thought it would be much more interesting to create pieces that could have been created 300 years ago – and also to [combine] ancient techniques of casting, or the medieval techniques of stained glass with the digital techniques. Every time it creates a new image, and that’s what I’m looking for.” For more, tune in!

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.

It was several years ago when we found ourselves seated inside a dimly illuminated wing of a farm/manor outside of Struer, Denmark, the very same bucolic estate Svend Olufsen and Peter Bang founded the luxury electronics brand Bang & Olufsen in 1925. We were there to experience the brand’s flagship Beolab 90 loudspeakers, the brand’s top tier model. And for half an hour we listened intently with nary a distraction, except for the occasional “ooh” and “ahh” that emerged while immersed in the life-like soundstage of a loudspeaker capable of going well beyond “11.” No surprise, noting the Beolab 90s are rated at a muscular 8,200W per speaker. So it goes without saying the listening session left an indelible imprint of aspirations we’re very unlikely to ever realize.

Now just imagine those tessellated towers of audio power bookending the newly announced LG MAGNIT, a monumental 136-inch Micro LED 4K UHD wall-hugging television that emphasizes the “cinema” in “home cinema.” That’s the premise between the recently announced bundle created between the Korean electronics manufacturer and their luxury Danish audio-visual counterparts, a home cinema system without compromise for those fortunate enough to consider such options for their living room or dedicated home theater space.

The 136-inch, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), 120Hz-refresh-rate LG MAGNIT meets/exceeds picture sizes normally associated with a projection system. But where projector technology must sacrifice brightness and contrast by the nature of reflecting light off a surface rather than using a light-emitting screen, the MAGNIT’s microLED screen is capable of pumping out up to 2000 nits of peak brightness. That makes for a capable partner to the BeoLab’s commanding 14 channels of 300-watt ICE power amplifiers and 4 channels of 1,000-watt Class D Heliox amplifiers powering the floor-standing speaker’s 18 premium drivers.

The ultra-luxe cinema system was recently launched with a group of audio professionals and press in attendance to take in the enormity of a screen spanning 11-foot diagonally aided sonically by a pair of 4-foot tall speakers in person.

Just in case you’re wondering, the LG MAGNIT bundle is priced at a significant 1st-adopter premium of $381,392 – minus the professional aid likely required to install this grandest of grand home cinema systems into the home. For those who just want a mere moment with the LG x B&O system, you’ll have to make it down over to Bang & Olufsen’s Costa Mesa, California showroom where the LG MAGNIT and Beolab 90 hold court.

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

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.