Whether you’re spending hours in your seat working hard at the office or leisurely gaming at home, you know the importance of finding the best, most ergonomic task chair to help support your activities. The problem is that most options don’t allow for maximum flexibility, and we don’t mean how far back the chair can tilt. Because everyone varies in size and preferences, a task chair needs to have as many modifications as possible to cater to everybody and every body. The design team for Anthros knew this, which is why they consulted with wheelchair users, who know what it means to thrive or suffer in a confined space, to create this modern task chair.

Backed by science and informed by evidence and research, the Anthros task chair is designed to maximize your productivity, minimize and eliminate any pain points, and improve your posture. In fact, it has already been registered by the FDA as an official orthotic device to help properly align your body when sitting. There are several key differentiators of the Anthros that make it stand out from current market options, including: an adjustable two-back system to accommodate and support different body shapes and sizes, a lower support for the base of the spine, and 4D arm rests that allow you to adjust height, weight, pivot angle, and depth for a fully customizable experience. Made in the USA, Anthros comes with a 12-year limited warranty and can be assembled in under 5 minutes.

In addition to providing relief to gamers and workers, the Anthros team is giving back to the very people who helped design its task chair. 100% of the proceeds raised by the Anthros Foundation will be used to support disabled communities from around the world.

Anthros’ frame, base, fabric, back panel, and arms are all customizable. To learn more or to order the Anthros chair, visit www.anthros.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.

Not every sequel requires the reinvention of the wheel, especially if the original design already has a lot going for it. Such is the case of the follow up to the Sonos Move. The successor of the popular portable outdoor wireless speaker that took the Sonos ecosystem out wherever you could carry the robust battery-powered speaker by the cuff of its neck is back four years later as the Sonos Move 2, bringing with it a sizable list of improvements, including a nature-inspired hue.

A cursory glance and you might believe the second Move has hardly changed, and for the most part the gently curved design of the first generation Move remains intact. The first Move was limited to “this or that” – a monochromatic choice of black or white. The Move 2 adds one more welcome option: a backyard-friendly Olive color that should blend in amicably against the backdrop of a lawn, garden, or pool.

The Olive color was inspired by “snowy fields surrounded by evergreen trees to desert landscapes adorned with cacti.”

Rated IP56, the Move 2 is built to withstand accidental drops, splashes, rain, dirt, and sun, but not full dips into the pool.

Following the lead of the Era 100 and 300, the Move 2 is topped with a shallow touch capacitive channel volume slider that should feel as tempting to trace by fingertip as its indoor model counterparts.

Sonos engineers improved the Move 2’s energy efficiency, reducing energy vampirism – the continual energy and drain power that happens even when a device is turned off – by more than 40%.

The original Move was plenty loud and clear, but was also limited to mono. The new Sonos Move 2 now operates in stereo, fitted with three class-D digital amplifiers powering a pair of angled tweeters and a precision-tuned midwoofer tuned to deliver crisp audible sound, no small thing for a speaker intended to be used in open air environments.

The Move 2 connects wireless concurrently via Bluetooth and WiFi. That means you can use the Move 2 without the aid of the Sonos app/ecosystem as easily as connecting it to work in coordination to other Sonos speakers. Par for the Sonos course, Trueplay tuning is included to optimize playback in relation to the speaker’s environment.

A wireless portable speaker is only as good as its battery life, and the Move 2 has that covered with a sizable 44Wh rechargeable battery that is now good for up to an entire day of playback (the battery life comes at the expense of a hefty 6.6 lbs weight, but if ultimate portability is a concern, the Sonos Roam is an option). All that battery life is additionally expanding to share its wealth in the form of a USB-C port available for mobile device recharging. Sonos also made the battery removable and replaceable, extending the use/life of the Move 2 beyond a one and done affair.

The Sonos Move 2 is not a reinvention of the wheel, but it does everything to make it roll faster, further, and more efficiently than its predecessor, making the $449 portable powerhouse a strong candidate for one of the best outdoor wireless speakers, again.

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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.

Organize the space around your outdoor water tap with Weltrevee’s Waterworks outdoor sink and water station. Rinse off dirty boots, wash freshly picked fruits and vegetables, and more. Waterworks can really be used however you see fit – whether that’s as a spot to organize your gardening essentials or as the perfect mini bar and ice bucket. It exists to work in the way you need it to at any given moment.

“Waterworks is about reconnecting with water, because water connects us all,” said designer Floris Schoonderbeek.

The setup includes a worktop and a perforated wall that will fit any standard outdoor faucet. The worktop features a recess where the included bucket perfectly sits, and you can hang tools and more on the three provided S-hooks. Simply connect the tap point with a standard hose and your existing outdoor faucet has been upgraded! Whether it’s in your garden or on your balcony, Waterworks provides a water station and outdoor sink all-in-one.

Waterworks is weatherproof thanks to its powder coating, and available in RAL 7033.

To learn more about Weltevree’s Waterworks outdoor sink and water station, visit weltevree.eu.

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.

Compared to the energetic buzz of Tokyo, the city of Kyoto still operates at a satisfyingly measured hum, retaining much more than a veneer of the country’s deep seated traditions, crafts, and history. It is a city where heritage still survives in spite of the encroachment of contemporary conveniences and technologies, and where the history of many businesses can be measured in decades…or even more than a century.

MAKHNO Studio, a Ukrainian studio dedicated to contemporary Ukrainian architecture, interior design, and ceramics, was tasked to thoughtfully update a section of a century-old house in Kyoto in respect to this enduring spirit of ancient Japanese culture – to carefully add “a drop of Ukrainian color to the Japanese context.”

Owned by a family with children, the century-old KYOTO HOUSE still wears a discernible degree of its traditional heritage as exhibited by the rooms’ textured clay wall surfaces, original tatami mats, shoji screens, and a floor plan optimized for furnishings situated closer to the ground. The family uses this section of the home to stage traditional tea ceremonies and accommodate for overnight guests. The challenge presented to MAKHNO Studio was finding the gentlest path toward restoration, utilizing only touches of modernity with a conscientious care to maintain its historic ambience.

A pair of Wassily Chairs by Marcel Breuer for Knoll on paper may seem incongruous with the traditional Japanese elements, but placed thoughtfully as visual bookends, the seamless tubular frame and black leather blends pleasantly into its introduced setting.

The interior is characterized by its “shoin-zukuri” or “study style” detailing with origins spanning back to the dwellings of Zen monks and samurai of the 15th to 16th centuries, an architectural modus vivendi identified by rooms incorporating rice paper partitions and shoji sliding doors.

New elements of Ukrainian aesthetics were introduced to interplay with the original elements, including Ukrainian zoomorphic ceramics, plates, and earthenware by MAKNO Studio’s own Slavko Odarchenko, paintings by artist Oleksandr Babak, as well as traditional and modern Japanese graphics. The additions are subtle, with the sum of its effect upon the entirety of the space communicating the home operates not as a museum, but as a usable space aware of the present.

The waves of time left traces on [the home], making it unique. Therefore, when reconstructing it, it was important not to destroy these feelings, but rather to refine and enhance them by adding a drop of Ukrainian color to the Japanese context.

A minimalist ikebana arrangement of seasonal plants is placed as an embodiment of the principles of wabi and sabi: an appreciation of the beauty inherent in the transience of time.

A “roji,” or small tea garden, welcomes guests with poetic landscaping decorated with Japanese ritual stones and Ukrainian DIDO art sculptures from the MAKHNO workshop. The small pieces are placed as protective totems, shielding occupants from bad vibes and unwanted guests.

The KYOTO HOUSE embodies the harmonious convergence of two distinct cultures, inviting individuals to immerse themselves in the serene simplicity of savoring tea, connecting with our senses, and in appreciation of Japanese heritage. Or as succinctly stated by MAKHNO Studio’s founder, Serhii Makhno: “This is a home for tea and life.”

Photography by Naoki Miyashita.

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.

If you ask Brendan Kramer and Nisha Mirani which product most accurately reflects their textile studio Sunday Monday, they might just say Kanso, the designers’ recent and first full pillow collection. Beyond the studio’s design values, Kanso also represents Kramer’s Japanese heritage and Mirani’s Indian heritage. The collection is named after one of the seven principles of Japanese zen philosophy, “kanso,” which refers to the elimination of clutter in order to promote well-being. While designed in New York City, the pillows are block-printed by hand in Rajasthan, India, an homage to Mirani’s cultural background.

The block designs are first carved into local teakwood at the same time that 100% European linen is washed, dyed, and prepared for the hand-block printing. In an open air workshop located on a family farm, fifth generation artisans carefully imprint the designs, a production that requires a very particular skillset because of the size of the block prints. Even changes in weather, specifically rain and high humidity, can delay the process. Once dried under the Rajasthani sun, the textiles are wash, dried, and finished.

In addition to their cultural heritages, Kramer and Mirani were inspired by Isamu Noguchi’s iconic Akari lamps for their elegant silhouettes and simple materials. The architectural lines found in the pillow collection are a reflection of the bamboo framing of Noguchi’s lamps. Negative space highlights the rich colors of the dyed linen while the various dualities seen – light and dark, sun and moon, circles and squares – represent Sunday Monday’s textile collection.

Brendan Kramer and Nisha Mirani of Sunday Monday

For more information or to purchase pillows from the Kanso collection, visit shopsundaymonday.com.

Photography by Aaron Bengochea.

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.

Keeps, a direct-to-consumer residential furniture brand focused on simplicity, functionality, and sustainability, is best known for their easy-to-assemble bed frame. Living at the intersection of high design and accessibility, the brand recently expanded its contemporary lifestyle offerings with The Coffee Table and Off-Cuts limited run accessories. All new pieces carry on with Keeps’ mission to push back on fast furniture – they’re accessible, modern, and built to last while retaining their versatile and adaptive qualities.

The Off-Cuts line of accessories minimizes Keeps’ environmental footprint through repurposing surplus materials from manufacturing their bed. Wood remnants are used to create smaller scale products, such as the Apple Box and Wall Hook, to max out yield and further reduce waste. Because they’re solely produced using leftover materials, all Off-Cuts products are a limited run, with new introductions to come in the future.

The first piece introduced to Off-Cuts is a reimagined apple box, a product often used in film production, that’s playful yet utilitarian. At home, the Apple Box can serve many purposes: step stool, end table, plant stand, extra seating, or whatever you can think up. Clearly multifunctional and handy to have around, Keeps didn’t skip out on fun. The Apple Box’s selection of emotive faces add tons of personality to the piece and help to connect the product with users.

The second product in Off-Cuts is Wall Hooks, inspired by the most minimal of designs. A small, dimensional wood cube with one corner sitting flush to the wall is as simple as it gets, and perfect for your entryway, bathroom, or closet. Available in packs of three, Wall Hooks fit right in with many aesthetics and ensure a secure grip, to prevent whatever you’re hanging from sliding or falling off.

The Coffee Table is a unique two-in-one table that features different leg configurations to drastically alter its appearance. Both modular options play with height and functionality – it can even be used as a bench! Available in both Square and Long sizes, Keeps’ first coffee table is designed with various living spaces in mind – the Square option is more traditional, while the Long is 2″ taller.

Keeps designs and engineers all of its products in-house using FSC-certified solid oak. The brand partners with Eden Reforestation Project for every bed purchased, and are actively exploring future initiatives that include getting their B-Corp certification.

To learn more about Keeps’ new additions, visit builtforkeeps.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.

It’s an interesting moment for artist Jacob Hashimoto. For nearly three decades, his kite-constructed works have captivated viewers with a fusion of meticulous hand-craftsmanship and the optical effect of digital pixels. His wall works often consist of six suspended layers of circular paper and bamboo “kites” that obscure as much as they reveal, shifting with every footstep. His newest exhibition The Disappointment Engine is a knock-out at Miles McEnery Gallery in New York, presenting 11 new works, including a massive wall-to-wall, cloud-like installation at the entrance.

Jacob Hashimoto, In order to get the self-destruct mechanism started, 2023 (detail)

Hashimoto was born in Colorado in 1973 and grew up in Walla Walla Washington, later graduating from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His father is Japanese-American and his mother is Irish-American. In a recent interview he spoke about the influence of his upbringing on his practice: “I’m half-Japanese and half European-American and having grown up Asian American – or at least half Asian-American – in a rural part of the United States definitely helped shape who I am as a person in ways that I think can’t help effect the way that I make my artwork. So my relationship with traditional materials and traditional Japanese handicraft, you know a lot of that stuff is a product of my relationship to Asian culture through the lens of being an American.”

Currently living and working in Ossining, New York, his work often reflects a fascination and re-imagining of “pixels,” influenced by 3D-computer modeling software, virtual environments, and video games – my favorite interview with him is this 6-minute video of him talking about the unexpected influence of Minecraft on a previous body of work. But beyond the digital references, these 11 new works find inspiration in “viruses, stained-glass windows, Atari circuit-board patterns, and leaf structures.” Through all the patterns and countless references and abstraction, there seems to be a general vibe that connects to our recent shared experiences of isolation, nature, computers, anxiety, connection, and a continual re-ordering of our daily routines. In short, Hashimoto’s work connects now more than ever.

Installation: Jacob Hashimoto “The Disappointment Engine,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, 2023

Jacob Hashimoto, The Disappointment Engine, 2023 (detail)

Jacob Hashimoto, The Disappointment Engine, 2023 (detail)

A note about the entrance: This location of Miles McEnery Gallery requires visitors to walk up a half-dozen steps from the entrance door to the exhibition space of the gallery, making Hashimoto’s white wall-to-wall installation a draw, veil, and obstacle. It also primes you for the best way to interact with Hashimoto’s work: to move yourself around it. All of his “kites,” like real kites, are joyously activated with movement, but it’s not the wind that causes that – it’s you. Every step and every 1/2 inch shift of your position produces a hundred visual sparks.

Jacob Hashimoto, The Rewind, 2023

Jacob Hashimoto, The Rewind, 2023

Jacob Hashimoto, Because I Shall not Know, 2023

Jacob Hashimoto, Because I Shall not Know, 2023

My favorite works contain large sections of “empty” space. For example, in “The Rewind” and “Because I Shall not Know” (above), large white, yellow, or black sections still buzz and shift as you move. Best of all, there’s a clear “break” when the works are viewed off-center, fracturing and dissolving their own visual foundation. The effect makes “exiting” the work as joyous as approaching it, encouraging a continuous return to each experience.

Jacob Hashimoto, The Chance Passage Through the Heart of Light, 2023

Jacob Hashimoto, The Chance Passage Through the Heart of Light, 2023

Installation: Jacob Hashimoto “The Disappointment Engine,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, 2023

Installation: Jacob Hashimoto “The Disappointment Engine,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, 2023

Full of complexity, craftsmanship, object, aura, mystery, and joy, it’s an unmissable experience if you’re in New York this fall. Jacob Hashimoto: The Disappointment Engine, is on view at Miles McEnery Gallery in New York through October 21^st.

What: Jacob Hashimoto: The Disappointment Engine
Where: Miles McEnery Gallery, 511 W 22nd St, New York, NY
When: September 7 – October 21, 2023

All images courtesy of the artist and Miles McEnery Gallery, New York

David Behringer visits over 200 galleries every month to uncover and share the most exciting contemporary art in New York today. Subscribe to his exclusive weekly newsletter at www.thetwopercent.com and learn about his private gallery tours. And be sure to check out his YouTube.

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. Careful discussions with the clients aimed to strike a balance between shared spaces and private living.

The central courtyard unfolds as a tranquil oasis, connecting the two homes and intertwining their stories. The clean white exterior is punctuated with black framed windows that complement the multilayered black tiled courtyard and water feature.

The Courtyard House embraces sustainability throughout. The central courtyard helps maximize cross ventilation and natural daylight to help reduce electricity consumption. Natural materials, like reclaimed teak wood, Indian marbles, and terrazzo floors made from marble waste, contribute to a more eco-friendly design.

Upon entering the foyer, white marble flooring sets the tone for each of the home’s modern aesthetic that’s unveiled the further into the houses one goes. The living area, with its black walls and large windows, provides an intimate ambiance with views of the lush greenery outside. The family space merges with an open-concept kitchen, inviting gatherings and interactions.

The interior showcases a minimalist and monochromatic color palette of black and white hues. This choice adds elegance and sophistication, providing a timeless backdrop for architectural elements and furnishings.

The floating black staircase features a pared back design while also making a visual statement in the open living space.

High ceilings and white walls help to maintain cool indoor temperatures, as the white surfaces reflect both heat and light.

Private bedrooms come with dressers and their own private bathrooms clad in Indian marble that’s complemented with teak wood details.

Photography by Pankaj Anand.

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.

Water purification systems fall under that category of mundane appliances bought out of pure necessity rather than any deep seated desire remotely related to design. Under-the-sink models offer the option to hide away the form-in-service-of-function products, but most countertop options are dominantly characterized by white plastic case designs. Seoul-based branding and industrial design studio Superkomma wants to color the category differently with their vibrant, folded metal water purifier, the Conecto.

The Conecto is conceived to be an “anywhere, everywhere appliance,” one bringing filtered water well beyond models typically confined to the kitchen and the proximity of an electrical outlet. The narrow dimensions of the water purification appliance operates solely dependent upon water pressure, so there’s no plug or power cable to worry about, liberating placement.

In support of portability, Superkomma includes a small yellow hook to hold any excess length of water tube used in the connection between a water source and the reverse osmosis filtering unit.

“We don’t think the water purifier [has to be] white, [nor] should it be made of plastic material,” explains Superkomma. “And I don’t want to define it as a product that only stays in the kitchen.”

Superkomma credits the form and structure of the Conecto to modular metal furniture as inspiration. Interestingly this includes metal’s tendency to patina over time for its “vintage charm.”

Constructed of colorfully painted folding metal plates matching the dimensions of A4 paper, the Conecto’s individual pieces simply lock into place for simplified assembly.

To reduce waste, Superkomma labels each filter units using laser marking instead of printed label

The Conecto may be purely a concept at the moment, but it’s a fair bet as drinking water quality increasingly becomes a concern both at work and home – and wasteful plastic water bottles (hopefully) become less common – we’ll see water purifiers diversify in design and be presented in a wider gamut of colors inspired by the likes of Superkomma’s colorful little number.

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.

Regardless of the technology – incandescent, fluorescent, CFL, LED – the romanticism associated with the warm glow of candlelight endures. The flickering flame harkens back to a slower time when everyday illumination was not measured in lumens, but in the slow, steady drip of wax. Seattle and Amsterdam-based design studio Graypants tapped into that warm association in the form of the Wick rechargeable LED table lamp, evoking the classic candleholder as an elegant modernist light source to light up the dinner table, bedside, or an evening get-together. And now there’s a smaller sibling – the Wick S – to complement the original.

The follow-up to the original portable and rechargeable table lamp is simple to remember, simply adding an “S” to its moniker to denote its smaller size.

The Wick S is slightly shorter, measuring 6.5 inches in height compared to the Wick’s 10.2 inches stature, operating well as a companion piece to its original taller sibling or solo.

The Wick’s candlelight glow can last anywhere between 12.5 to 150 hours on a single charge, depending upon which of the four brightness settings is set to illuminate the room.

Like the original, it operates with a simple tap of its ring at the base to cycle through its 1 watt range of dim, bright to brighter, to brightest glow.

The Wick S lamp is available for preorder for $139 in brass, graphite, and black and shipping this fall.

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.