Beyond the occasional volcanic eruption, the ragged splendor of Iceland’s dramatic cliffs, valleys, and mountain peaks are deceivingly picturesque, only hinting of the ongoing violence perpetually unfolding beneath its soil. The series of geological activities responsible for churning, carving, and reshaping the varied Icelandic landscape over millennia have made it an adventurer’s paradise. And for years, the Blue Lagoon Iceland located just outside of Reykjavík has taken advantage of the country’s volcanic temperament, luring visitors from around the globe to relax their muscles bathed in the resort’s otherworldly turquoise-tinted geothermal heated water.

The same group behind the Blue Lagoon are also responsible for the newly opened Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll, a property situated at the foot of the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range designed to serve up stimulating adventure with a side of luxurious serene solitude.

The remoteness of Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll’s location (the hotel doesn’t list a standard address, but instead lists “getting here” options that differ in summer versus winter. Such is the cantankerous nature of the central highlands where a minimum 3-hour car ride from Reykjavík is realizable only in the most ideal of conditions. In wintertime the route becomes so challenging, the resort requires guests to schedule transport by a 4×4 super Jeep driven by a professional to maneuver the snowy and ice-covered terrain.

But this arduous journey from city to hotel likely will only add to the perception that the Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll promises a stay unlike any other place on earth, appealing to guests who only seek rest and relaxation as bookends to a more strenuous stay while exploring the remote network of trails surrounding the property accessible by foot, mountain bike, skis, snowshoes, or snowmobile.

The hotel itself was designed to leave as little of a footprint on the landscape, with the small village-like layout of accommodations divided into the Highlands Base hotel with its 26 rooms and 2 suites operated year round, 6 stand-alone lodges, and for those really looking to rough it – but only in summertime – one of the property’s A-frame Hostel Huts or riverside campsites for tent camping. A shared kitchen, restroom, and shower facilities are situated nearby to serve these more rugged-minded guests.

Sustainability ranked high in developing Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll, with Blue Lagoon Iceland’s in-house design team reuniting with Basalt Architects and Design Group Italia, the same cohorts responsible for designing the Retreat at Blue Lagoon. Stone and wood play prominent at every touchpoint, on walls and underfoot, with soft touches of upholstery and blankets silently inviting, “rest here.”

To shelter guests from the worst of the biting elements, a system of underground passageways connect the hotel to the restaurant and the baths, allowing guests to stay comfortably warm during their stay.

With “coziness” emphasized as intrinsic to their guests’ stay, the rooms at the Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll range from 237 square feet to 474 square feet, each furnished with a contemporary palette of natural materials and colors referencing the surrounding Iceland landscape, a mood easily noted while staring out of any of the room’s picturesque views.

Guests who decide to stay in one of the resort’s 20 Highland Base Hostel rooms are served the bare necessities warmed with a rustic spirit, with the larger room option allowing for a family of four to sleep upon a queen size bunk bed.

The hotel’s 80-seat Highland Base Restaurant and Lounge is laid out in Alpine-style seating, serving everything from vegan options, local seafood, and traditional Icelandic dishes such as Kjötsúpa (a simple winter soup made with lamb, rutabaga, and potatoes).

And those with a penchant for all things sweet take note: every afternoon the restaurant sets up a waffle buffet, serving up the soft, thin, and heart-shaped Icelandic waffles known as vöfflur along with strawberry jam, whipped cream, syrup, coffee, and hot cocoa.

Like The Bolder Lodges in Lysefjord, Norway, a similarly remote destination marrying architectural accommodation with adventure-focused itineraries, the Highland Base is carefully curated to align the body, mind, and mindset into a state of off-grid bliss. And unlike the popularly accessible Blue Lagoon, the sojourn required to reach the Highland Base will inevitably help keep the Highland Base within the category of a best known secret.

What: Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll
Where: Kerlingarfjöll, Iceland
How much: Starting from $430/night within one of the hotel’s Deluxe rooms.
Highlights: Taking in the view of Hofsjökull, Iceland’s third-largest glacier, from your own balcony hot tub is hard to beat. Exploring the smoldering, steam laced pastiche of Hveradalir mountain range by foot equally so.
Design draw: With the aid of Basalt Architects and Design Group Italia, Blue Lagoon Iceland’s in-house design team have fashioned a cozy, minimalist architectural and interior design language harmonious with its striking natural setting.
Book it: Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll

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.

When designing the Dif Lamp, Bangkok-based designer Taras Yoom (born Taras Zheltyshev) looked to his education as a medical professional as a point of reference. The purple tubes of the unique floor lamp are inspired by the vascular system and the light pink orbs resemble blood cells – their passengers. Early on in his career, Yoom simultaneously worked part time in a laboratory and an architectural firm, and over time his projects began to blur the line between visible reality and the hidden processes of organisms. This drove him to work within the theme of human physiology and the Yoomoota art universe that the artist has since created.

Within Yoomoota, the Dif Luminaire “is made from terrestrial cells sent to our planet by the hero Thymus in order to protect it from infectious agents (Viroids and Bagds). These light pink cells are kept in Thymus’s backpack in the form of living and non-living objects, whose appearance scares enemies away. On Orginion (the planet of our body, where biochemical and physiological processes are described), similar luminaires are used as charms. They are activated when infections attack the cities during dark nights,” he explained in detail. “The Dif Lamp provides physical protection to the inhabitants during the night and moreover, serves as [a] significant guide and support. That is the light, which illuminates the darkness and allows us to defend against irrational fears, which all of us encounter.”

The larger Yoomoota universe reflects our inner worlds, a parallel universe with its own planets and inhabitants – a projection of our bodies and minds. Everything that exists on a global scale in reality is represented. The story is told through sculptures, collectible design, paintings, mixed media pieces, storybooks, and NFTs.

To learn more about Taras Yoom and Yoomoota, visit yoomoota.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.

Most homes are not optimally set up for a projection system. They require a large blank wall and/or screen, ambient natural light control, a sufficient distance between seating and the screen, and a place to situate the unit. It’s understandable why most people tend to rule out a projector despite the immersive cinematic pictures they produce. Even so, we believe the category merits a revisit. With new developments in laser, optical, and software technology, there are a multitude of portable projectors, unique designs, and ultra-short throw models addressing the limitations of previously bulky and dim consumer models. The new XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is one of the more handsomely designed projectors that makes a compelling argument to go big(ger) when planning a home theater upgrade.

The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra arrives as the successor to the XGIMI Horizon Pro 4K Projector, bringing with it a slew of upgrades nearly across the board, yet sold at the same price as its predecessor. The improvements include a newly redesigned modern decor-friendly form – a minimalist cube wrapped in a sedately sophisticated “Misty Gold” fabric and vegan leather. Alongside its compact 8.8 x 6.7 x 10.4-inch dimensions, the projector makes it a lot easier to place and integrate the projector in a living room than any other long-throw projector we’ve tested.

When turned off, the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra could easily be mistaken as a wireless speaker. That’s in no small part attributed to the HORIZON Ultra’s hidden lens. Only when powered on by remote does the front door slide down to reveal its a 4K projector. It’s a minor feature, but the movement creates an extra sense of the theatrical, akin to movie screen curtains opening at the cinema.

Android TV 11.0 powers the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra, offering a straightforward experience in navigation. If you’ve got an Android device additional streaming/Chromecast features are available, alongside a simplified process while logging into services.

Staking the claim as the world’s first Dolby Vision equipped long-throw 4K home projector, XGIMI hopes to appeal to a certain segment of cinephiles with an appreciation for an optimally enhanced higher contrast and punched up colors, but who don’t want to break the bank, nor introduce an eyesore into their home.

The HORIZON Ultra’s high dynamic range and wide color gamut produces a picture closer to cinematic intent of filmmakers when the projector is paired with Dolby Vision content and viewed at night (a select amount of streaming content is hosted by Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+; we previewed the projector streaming Foundation on Apple TV+). The 3840 x 2160 pixels picture out the box should appease most viewers, but a little additional manual adjustment is recommended to experience the projector’s full potential.

But even with non-Dolby Vision content – the bulk of what you’ll probably watch on this device – the projector’s hybrid laser + LED light source combo produces a sufficiently dynamic 2,300 lumens, more than sufficient when tested viewing from a distance of 10-feet from the projector to the wall. That does come up short compared to the 3,700 lumens output of the LG CineBeam, but the XGIMI also doesn’t exhibit the color fringing that sometimes makes itself known with a tri-laser projector. So while the XGIMI is a little less bright, it also didn’t strain nor distract the eyes, especially during extended scenes of quick movement that can occasionally spoil the CineBeam’s output. And most importantly, the HORIZON Ultra is capable of transporting viewers from a sense of merely watching into the realm of experiencing a film or series with a sense of cinematic grandeur.

The big “gotcha” surrounding projectors is they generally perform poorly during daytime unless you’ve got a dedicated home theater room without windows or blackout shades with a special coated reflective screen. While the HORIZON Ultra will not come anywhere close to putting out the brightness of a light emitting display like your average LED, LCD, or OLED television, XGIMI has equipped the HORIZON Ultra with a keen feature called Intelligent Screen Adaption technology 3.0 (ISA 3.0). The system uses a combination of adaptive software and optic hardware previously only found in movie theater grade or prohibitively expensive top tier projectors. The HORIZON Ultra factors in everything from a room’s ambient lighting, nearby walls and curtains, and the placement of the projector before dynamically adjusting brightness and output for an improved viewing experience. In use it’s not “night and day” difference, but it allows for acceptable viewing even with indirect sunlight present.

XGIMI has also considered the possibility your walls aren’t painted a pure reflective white. Equipped with ISA 3.0-Wall color adaption, the HORIZON Ultra can tweak colors to account for your off-white proclivities and improve color accuracy. Even so, we would recommend investing in a screen if your walls veer anywhere outside the bounds of a hint of color.

Par for the course, the unit also handles focus and keystone correction automatically, a feature that still impresses with its expediency and accuracy when adjusting after repositioning the unit. Parents and pet owners will also breathe a sigh of relief with the inclusion of enhanced eye protection; the HORIZON Ultra automatically and immediately turns off its light output when a moving object is detected in front of the projector, then turns back on when it senses an obstruction has passed.

In the audio department a pair of built-in 12-watt Harman Kardon speakers do a serviceable job when seated nearby, opening the option to use this as a portable movies in the backyard experience. But you’ll really want to connect the HORIZON Ultra to external speakers or a soundbar for the immersive effect best suited to a picture that can bathe an entire living wall in light.

Despite a surprisingly modest price tag of $1,699, XGIMI is positioning the HORIZON Ultra as the brand’s flagship model. The same amount would only afford you a brand name television sized anywhere between 55-inches to 77-inches in size. Compare that to the maximum 200-inches output of the HORIZON Ultra and there’s little argument that the term “home theater” better applies to one than the other.

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.

Over a decade ago, Tamara Honey founded her eponymous interiors firm, House of Honey, a female collective of interior designers who want to create meaningful experiences through their work. Currently, she collaborates with the collective on private residential properties, restaurants, and hotels, with design studios in both Montecito and Pasadena, California.

A self-described maximalist, Tamara truly excels at creating bespoke environments that reflect her clients and their unique surroundings. “I have been collecting vintage furniture, lighting, and art for over a decade, and sold on 1st dibs for many years. I love the mix of old and new for all of our interiors,” she added. Through Tamara’s projects, she celebrates life out loud by creating moments of escape through cultivation and curation. What remains is a sense of joy, confidence, and a “well-textured life.”

Today, Tamara Honey joins us for Friday Five!

Tamara Honey

1. Flowers

Flowers are an all-day favorite! Every great story begins with sensory experience. We are developing two interior scents that tap into our love for the two places where our design studios are located. Ortega is born out of the desire to recall and capture driving the winding tree-lined ridge in Montecito. Bellefontaine is inspired by the rose-lined streets and lush gardens of Pasadena.

Photo: @isabelitavirtual

2. Disco Ball

Our obsession with the disco ball as a symbol of freedom and fun is real. The spaces we design inspire connection and living life out loud. Home should be a place where you laugh, love, dance, and play. We definitely follow the call of the disco ball at House of Honey!

Photo: Rosewood Miramar Beach

3. Montecito

Montecito, where I have both a house and a design studio, holds a special place in my heart. When I first visited, it reminded me of my childhood growing up in Halifax, Canada. My home there is placed in a forest setting, but minutes from the beach. It’s my very happy place!

Photo: Abel Macias

4. Color

Infusing color into interiors is instinctual for me, and I never shy away from it. I think that our design is courageous and narrative-shifting as a result. We are committed to delighting and surprising our clients through color choices, but most importantly, encouraging them to live boldly with a boundless enjoyment of the every day.

Photo: Dima Konjaria

5. Vintage Cars

At an early age, I developed a love of vintage cars (my obsession grew to include vintage furniture and art, but that’s another story!). I still love to stroll around a vintage car show, and love riding in a convertible with a sense of freedom and abandon.

Work by House of Honey:

Photo: Manolo Langis

Photo: Victoria Pearson

Photo: Victoria Pearson

Photo: Jason Rick

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.

Over a decade ago, Tamara Honey founded her eponymous interiors firm, House of Honey, a female collective of interior designers who want to create meaningful experiences through their work. Currently, she collaborates with the collective on private residential properties, restaurants, and hotels, with design studios in both Montecito and Pasadena, California.

A self-described maximalist, Tamara truly excels at creating bespoke environments that reflect her clients and their unique surroundings. “I have been collecting vintage furniture, lighting, and art for over a decade, and sold on 1st dibs for many years. I love the mix of old and new for all of our interiors,” she added. Through Tamara’s projects, she celebrates life out loud by creating moments of escape through cultivation and curation. What remains is a sense of joy, confidence, and a “well-textured life.”

Today, Tamara Honey joins us for Friday Five!

Photo: @aiinthekitchen

1. Flowers

Flowers are an all-day favorite! Every great story begins with sensory experience. We are developing two interior scents that tap into our love for the two places where our design studios are located. Ortega is born out of the desire to recall and capture driving the winding tree-lined ridge in Montecito. Bellefontaine is inspired by the rose-lined streets and lush gardens of Pasadena.

Photo: @isabelitavirtual

2. Disco Ball

Our obsession with the disco ball as a symbol of freedom and fun is real. The spaces we design inspire connection and living life out loud. Home should be a place where you laugh, love, dance, and play. We definitely follow the call of the disco ball at House of Honey!

Photo: Rosewood Miramar Beach

3. Montecito

Montecito, where I have both a house and a design studio, holds a special place in my heart. When I first visited, it reminded me of my childhood growing up in Halifax, Canada. My home there is placed in a forest setting, but minutes from the beach. It’s my very happy place!

Photo: Abel Macias

4. Color

Infusing color into interiors is instinctual for me, and I never shy away from it. I think that our design is courageous and narrative-shifting as a result. We are committed to delighting and surprising our clients through color choices, but most importantly, encouraging them to live boldly with a boundless enjoyment of the every day.

Photo: Dima Konjaria

5. Vintage Cars

At an early age, I developed a love of vintage cars (my obsession grew to include vintage furniture and art, but that’s another story!). I still love to stroll around a vintage car show, and love riding in a convertible with a sense of freedom and abandon.

Work by House of Honey:

Photo: Manolo Langis

Photo: Victoria Pearson

Photo: Victoria Pearson

Photo: Jason Rick

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.

Ovenecká 33 is a unique apartment in Prague, Czech Republic, where the design is approached as an art installation, like an immersive experience designed by creative Tereza Porybná and Objektor architekti. Porybná has always been fascinated by the art of connection, whether it’s connecting people or exploring the boundaries between different realms, all while pushing the limits. Her vision for Ovenecká 33 is a space that transcends the ordinary, a place where public and private spaces intertwine, and a home that is ever-evolving, just like life itself.

Walking through the doors of Ovenecká 33 is like stepping into a world full of creativity. Porybná’s collaboration with Objektor architekti, led by Jakub Červenka, Václav Šuba, and Vojtěch Šaroun, brought her vision to life. Initially inspired by the likes of Luis Barragán, Valentina Schlegel, and Bijoy Jain, the project soon took on a life of its own, becoming a space with unique design elements.

Some of the more captivating features of the apartment are its hidden corners and geometric details. The unique interior reveals itself in layers – there’s a home throne, a kitchen that feels like a cave, and a secret doorway in the library. Various shaped niches are carved into the walls, while geometric shapes of stone are embedded into the floors like a giant mosaic.

The horizontal nature of the space offered an unobstructed world for the designers’ imaginations. They conceived the new design as “living scenography of changing and permanent backdrops.” A central core helps create various pathways and unexpected viewpoints, while the sun’s movement continuously changes the patterns of light on the stucco walls.

The main living space is dominated by a massive concrete island that serves multiple purposes.

Ovenecká 33 isn’t just an apartment – it’s also designed as an art gallery. Porybná’s dream is to share the space with creators and invite them for artist residencies, ensuring that the apartment remains in a state of perpetual transformation.

While the apartment is predominately filled with shades of gray, additional colors are brought in, along with warm woods, to make the space more cozy and livable.

A small, minimalist bathroom explodes with colorful light reflections through a stained glass window.

The light-filled entryway leads to a hallway with a built-in throne clad in woven textiles, which doubles as a piece of art.

Photography by BoysPlayNice.

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.

I recently finished reading Marije Vogelzang’s Lick It. For those unfamiliar with her work, she’s the fairy godmother of food and eating design. In her latest book, she encourages the reader to indulge in curated culinary exercises (her art form) to explore the notion of food beyond sustenance into an expression of culture and desire. She shows you how satisfying a seductive relationship with your food can be.

Funny enough exploring the relationship between food and seduction is the exact theme of Design Museum Holon’s most recent show FOOD. Running until November 11, 2023, this captivating showcase delves deep into the intricate and seductive relationship between humans and food, all while emphasizing the pivotal role that design plays in shaping this connection.

Photo: Elad Sarig

The museum has dedicated its entire space to three distinct exhibitions that provide fascinating insights into the subject.

Nitsan Mayost, Letters to Ofer, 2022 Photo: Eitan Mottahedeh

Curators Liora Rosin and Dana Benshalom aptly observe, “Our culinary choices define and shape our identity, in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. You are what you eat, and sometimes you are what others see you eat.”

Photo: JoDuck

Food seduces us through the sound of a sizzling sunny-side-up egg, the aroma of freshly baked bread, the sight of grill marks on seared meat, and the tactile sensation of holding a ripe avocado. Surprisingly, taste is the last sense to join this seductive dance. The other four senses – sight, smell, touch, and hearing – play crucial roles in kindling desire or repulsion for food.

Photo: JoDuck

From our prehistoric ancestors’ gathering and hunting to modern processes of enhancement and preservation, food has shaped, seduced, and defined us. It categorizes us personally, collectively, and socially based on what we consume and how. For the design world, food serves as both raw material and symbol, with designers involved in various stages of food’s life cycle, responding to contemporary consumer culture. The exhibition is divided into three chapters: “Needs and Desires,” “Attraction and Repulsion,” and “Restraint, Preservation, and Liberation,” all interwoven with the theme of seduction.

Photo: Lernert&Sander

Curated by Lior Hermoni-Gati, this exhibition explores the role of food coloring and how vision influences our interpretation of food colors. It invites visitors to reflect on the cultural context of food and its taste. Color plays a significant role in our perception of taste, and this connection has deep roots in human history. From hunter-gatherers using color to identify food sources to ancient Egyptians enhancing the hues of sweets, color has been a powerful tool in food seduction.

Photo: Elad Sarig

Today, bold artificial colors in foods create expectations of rich flavors. However, the awareness of the dangers associated with synthetic food coloring has led to a demand for natural alternatives. The exhibition questions how dominant color is in shaping our expectations of flavor, examining the symbolism and meanings tied to food colors. It covers everything from the aesthetics of food packaging to the significance of colors like red, green, and even black in the context of food.

Photo: Elad Sarig

Curated by Talia Janover, this interactive, AI-powered sensory installation explores the future of food. It encourages visitors to explore the relationship between scent, memory, and the beauty of imperfection. While human needs for food haven’t changed in over 200,000 years, our relationship with our environment has shifted dramatically. Modern society often seeks to conquer nature, ignoring the ecological crisis we now face.

Cloaca Machine by Wim Delvoye, 2012 Photo: Elad Sarig

This exhibit raises questions about the cultural and nutritional changes needed for our survival. It explores the potential roles of insects, mushrooms, and seaweed in our diets and the techniques we might employ to prepare future foods. It also dives into the multitude of senses beyond the traditional five, offering insights into how these senses shape our perception of food.

Photo: Elad Sarig

Intriguing, thought-provoking, and visually stunning, Design Museum Holon’s current exhibition challenges us to reconsider our relationship with food and its role in shaping our culture and identity. It invites us to savor every aspect of this intricate connection between food and design, leaving us with a deeper appreciation for the artistry of the culinary world and its power to seduce both our palates and our imaginations.

Photography courtesy of v2com.

TJ Girard is a sought-after food designer and creative consultant, celebrated for staging theatrical, interactive food + beverage experiences. She now resides in California where her creativity is solar powered! TJ writes the Design Milk column called Taste.

Ray and Charles Eames have become almost singularly synonymous with a certain style of approachable and playful mid-century design that perseveres in popularity today, in no small part to the various projects and partnerships that have kept their names relevant across generations, occasionally to the chagrin of purists.

No surprise, the dynamic duo’s designs have also become immensely sought after amongst collectors and the general public alike. The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity is a non-profit organization with a fantastical name dedicated to an essential purpose of promoting and educating the public about the tenets of the iconic designer couple. Their newly released guide, An Eames of Your Own, created with the Institute’s head of research and acquisitions is here to help demystify collecting not only Eames pieces, but most any noteworthy collectible in practice.

As anyone who has first dipped their toes into appreciating and identifying the finer nuances of wine and their provenance, collecting furniture requires a similar foundational knowledge to move up from newbie to informed collector. An Eames of Your Own outlines five key tenets applicable not only to Eames pieces, but any design object of historical and cultural significance.

Accompanied by the whimsical period-inspired illustrations of Catherine Potvin, the guide features artifacts from the Eames Collection alongside advice penned by self-professed Eames aficionado and filmmaker Daniel Ostroff to help demystify collecting vintage modern furniture, accessories, and art. An abbreviated version below:

Story over style: Focus on discovering the object’s history, instead of just its flashy title. Each Eames piece has a background, and its unique journey can make it even more valuable.

Don’t mess with patina: The less a collector does the better, especially if they have a piece in its original condition. Try to make no modifications in order to preserve the original quality, or if you do, channel Ray and Charles Eames by only making changes that increase the longevity of the piece.

Earlier isn’t necessarily better: The oldest dated Eames piece doesn’t always make it more valuable, as Ray and Charles were constantly iterating to perfect their craft. Don’t get caught up in how old it is, and prioritize other aspects.

Beware of FrankenEames: Some non-serious dealers will mix and match original bases and chair seats, creating a “Frankenstein chair,” blending Eames pieces thus reducing the validity of the furniture.

Become an Eames librarian: Read as much as you can about Ray and Charles Eames and their work. Start with vintage Herman Miller Catalogs, Connections.

For the complete guide about collecting Eames designs, steer on over to the Eames Institute’s latest Kazam! Feature, An Eames of Your Own.

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.

Forest Hill Residence is a minimal house located in Toronto, Canada, designed by Burdifilek. The home is carefully tailored to meet the preferences of a textile designer who sought refuge from the vibrant hues that pervade their professional life. The home epitomizes the philosophy of minimalism, with Burdifilek steering the design towards a notable absence of commonly found elements such as baseboards, moldings, and door handles.

Burdifilek’s approach introduces an “interior skin” that delicately contours each room, treating transitions in surfaces as opportunities to redefine traditional fixtures. A standout feature includes the innovative treatment of wall footers, metamorphosed into built-in furniture accentuated with bronze cladding, providing a seamless yet chic finish.

Embracing a nuanced palette, the home is a canvas where crisp white marble meets textured neutral wallcoverings, juxtaposed against the rich contrast of leathered Canadian black granite and European white oak elements. The great room, serving as the epicenter of the dwelling, houses bespoke oak cabinets that meld seamlessly with the space, concealing an array of amenities behind its beveled facades.

The upper level unveils a series of rooms that balance between coherence and calmness. The principal bedroom resides in its secluded niche, shielded by double pocket doors. Further exploration reveals a network of interconnected rooms, each maintaining a quiet dialogue with the adjacent spaces, featuring pale oak built-ins and pristine marble surfaces.

Photography by Doublespace.

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.

Scottish tartan is known the world over – an indicator of clan, class, punk rock affinity, fashion preferences, and more. Its long and wild history is examined in a brilliant show at the V&A Dundee, simply titled Tartan. In it, tartan is examined from its inception – as seen in the Glen Affric tartan, believed to date from as early as 1500 – to its role in the punk rock revolution of the 1970s and 80s, its central appearance within Alexander McQueen’s high-fashion collections and present day (specifically, a 2022 tartan-covered Xbox Wireless Controller).



In this week’s Milkshake, we talk to the exposition’s co-curator, Kirsty Hassard – about her favorite pieces from the show, the Glen Affric tartan, and more. For the former, she chose a selection of tartans from Frances Farquharson, a Seattle society girl turned fashion editor turned Highlands muse. “She was an American fashion journalist who wrote for British Vogue, and the editor of Harper’s Bazaar in the 1940s and 1930s,” Hassard says. “She came to Scotland in the late 1940s, when she married the Laird of Invercalde, and she became Frances Farquharson.” While Frances Lovell Oldham, as she had been born, did not have a tartan, Frances Farquharson did. “Because her new surname has a clan tartan associated with it, she acquired a fabulous new wardrobe to associate herself with this. I was really drawn to her as a sort of fashion chameleon, I guess, but somebody who was able to adapt their personality basically through their fashion sense.”

For Hassard, the “most exciting discovery” in the show was the Glen Affric tartan, discovered in a peat bog 40 years ago but more recently found to have dated to the 16th century. (Earlier “tartans,” as Hassard says, were only printed check patterns, not true tartans.) “Through radiocarbon dating, we discovered, with help from the National Museum of Scotland and the Scottish Tartans Authority, that the Glen Affric tartan is the oldest tartan ever to be discovered in Scotland – or potentially in the world,” she says. “It dates from between 1500 and 1550, and as its name suggests, it was found in a bog in Glen Affric, which is between Skye and Inverness up in the Scottish Highlands. What’s so exciting about it is that it conforms to the idea of tartan as we know it, so it’s got the idea of color, pattern, and proportion, which conforms with any tartan you might see that’s designed today – whereas other textiles that have claimed to be tartans that might have been discovered earlier than this one are checked patterns – what we have here is a true tartan.”

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Scotland’s oldest-known true tartan, discovered by The Scottish Tartans Authority and on display for the first time at V&A Dundee’s Tartan exhibition

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.