After AI-assisted exploration, SPACE10 has launched a new seating design that will have you re-thinking everything you thought about sofas. The IKEA research and design lab created the Couch in an Envelope as a way to challenge the traditional design of a couch in order to make it more sustainable, as well as adaptable and easy to transport. Couch in an Envelope, designed in collaboration with Panter&Tourron, begs the question – “Can a couch be designed to go flat, be put into envelope-like packaging, and then carried around by a human?” The answer is yes.

When you think of a couch, the idea of a heavy, bulky piece of furniture that’s difficult to move probably comes to mind. From the start of building to customer delivery, conventional couches take up more room to store and cost way more to transport thanks to their size and weight. Then there’s comfort, a necessity when it comes to a seat someone will be sitting on for periods of time, which in turn contributes to the bulkiness in the design and most often reduces the product’s sustainability. Throw in the fact that each sofa is made up of many components making it harder to recycle, which is why many just end up in landfills.

“This project began as a way to challenge problematic design archetypes. The couch, as we know it today, is a complicated and high-maintenance piece of furniture; to find and to move. However beloved it is, the couch is often a strain on people owing to its weight, the planet due to its design intricacies, and a burden on the friends who generously help us to move. The project is an agenda for change, inspiring the design community to move further towards a couch that is better for us — and the planet,” says Georgina McDonald, Creative & Partnerships, SPACE10.

In lieu of those couches that are heavy and hard to move, Couch in an Envelope is lightweight and designed for contemporary living. Adjustable wings attach to the flat base in various ways allowing for endless seating options, as well as making it more adaptable to one’s needs changing in the home. The design also works well when moved to a new place that might require a new type of seating arrangement. If one couch isn’t enough, multiple couches can be used together to make larger seating setups.

Couch in an Envelope is built with aluminum, cellulose-based fabrics and yarns, and mycelium foam, all of which are 100% recyclable. By using lighter and less materials, the couch remains easy to assemble, disassemble, stack, or transport by a single person.

SPACE10 came up with a list as to why one might choose Couch in an Envelope over an immovable sofa:
1. Light enough to carry alone (from A to B and up flights of stairs)
2. Easy on the planet (made with fewer, locally-sourced materials)
3. Foldable and flat-pack (easy to store, assemble, disassemble, and move)
4. Stackable on a factory pallet (more room for warehouse storage)
5. Easy on your friends (to move and assemble)
6. Modular and flexible (adjusts to your lifestyles and routines)
7. Tool-less and screw-less (for disassembly and recycling)
8. Durable and resilient to wear
9. Comfortable, cool, and easy to clean textiles
10. Easy to love

Pretty compelling list!

SPACE10 and Panter&Tourron came together to explore why so many couches are designed the same way, leading them to experiment with AI to challenge that norm. At first, AI tools continued to come up with the archetypal shape of the sofa when “couch” was used for the prompt. “Outdated, unsustainable design archetypes embedded in large language models are problematic in algorithms, and negatively impacting the future of design. Presently, AI can only take us so far in design innovation before craft, and the human hand needs to intervene,” says Alexis Tourron, Design and Co-founder of Panter&Tourron.

Once Panter&Tourron started to add additional prompts, like “platform,” “lightweight,” “sustainable,” “recyclable,” and “easy to move,” a new series of modern seating designs were generated, all of which are lightweight, adaptable, and circular, while not falling into the traditional archetype.

“Comfort is primarily the main requirement when designing a couch, which can compromise durability and sustainability. We wanted to simplify the material composition, prioritise weight, disassembly and circularity. We’ve envisaged something that’s 100% recyclable, without sacrificing softness. Couch in an Envelope is a new generation of comfort,” says Stefano Panterotto, Designer and Co-founder of Panter&Tourron.

Couch in an Envelopes stacked on a palette

Photo: Seth Nicolas

The Couch in an Envelope prototype is on display at the Design in the Age of AI exhibition through November 30, 2023 at SPACE10 Gallery in Copenhagen.

Photo: Seth Nicolas

Photo: Seth Nicolas

Photo: Seth Nicolas

For more information on Couch in an Envelope, visit space10.com.

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.

Design Milk is excited to present the last lecture of the 2022/2023 academic year of The Vignelli Center for Design Studies Design Conversations Lecture Series featuring John Edelman, president and CEO of Heller. A mention of Edelman’s name in the design world will immediately conjure up an impressive list of brand’s he’s put his mark on, including Design Within Reach, Herman Miller, Edelman Leather, and now Heller. Edelman talks about his storied childhood surrounded by design, going into the family leather business after selling two-million pairs of shoes in one year, learning about modern design from scouring flea markets, and how his life experiences led him to Design Within Reach and beyond.

Watch to learn more:

Hellerware Rainbow Dinnerware

Vignelli Rocker from Heller

Vignelli Bench from Heller

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.

Travel enough and you begin to appreciate numerous details (and the occasional quibble) only revealed after you’ve endured the trials and tribulations associated with living out of a suitcase. Take for example, the luggage itself. Of course, capacity and durability are paramount when assessing the most essential travel accessory right there with active noise canceling headphones. You begin to notice how (or not) smoothly your luggage wheels roll when running to catch a flight, how well it zips open or closed, and even how easily identifiable your luggage is while surveying the carousel of lookalikes. With all of these concerns Crash Baggage, the brand of suitcases with an intentionally dented design, stands out from the crowd.

Crash Baggage recently made news with a site-specific installation conceived by creative studio Parasite 2.0 for the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale.

The moody brick wall installation was conceived to tout the silent and smooth performance of new patented luggage wheels designed to insulate from excess noise while also reducing vibrations across even rough, bumpy surfaces.

Crash Luggages “standard” suitcases already stand out from the legions of similarly styled suitcases.

The installation creates a strong contrast between the Venetian interior, which is characterized by rough bricks and plasters, and a collection of soft, shiny, pneumatic objects whose aesthetic is reminiscent of set designs from the old days of science fiction films, like a type of a primitive future.

–Parasite 2.0

The new limited-edition collection of carry-on suitcases not only feature the Lunar wheels, but as if the pre-dented design wasn’t already a distinguishing attribute in itself, the Crash Baggage edition will also come in four different eye-catching gradient colorways – Sunset, Galaxy, Infinity Black, and Silver Moon – each imagined to evoke the atmospheric lunar landscape.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of 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.

As the space between man and machine continues to grow smaller, design agency Here went to work exploring the rapidly evolving gap between craft and technology. The big question: Can technology help us make beautiful art? The fear is of course that it will lead to lifeless work that lacks both depth and meaning. During London Craft Week, Here shared Code/Craft/Chaos to challenge this viewpoint while transforming digitally generated patterns into crafted pieces of art. In doing so, Here paid homage to Vera Molnar, known as the pioneer of Generative Art. She once famously said, “The machine, thought to be cold and inhuman, can help to realize what is most subjective, unattainable, and profound in a human being.”

Here is a B-corp certified company of thinkers, writers, designers, and makers committed to Beautility: making good choices desirable. In Code/Craft/Chaos, digitally generated patterns are turned into crafted artworks using algorithms, making the evolution from pixels to physical, sustainable objects. Handcrafted tapestries, ceramics, screen prints, music, and poetry all received a go at the treatment. Here teamed up with like-minded, environmentally conscious makers and suppliers to turn these experiments into art with their end-of-life in mind. All materials were chosen with care to create the smallest footprint on the planet – from locally printed screen prints to tapestries woven from fashion offcuts.

Even working with something as intangible as an algorithm, all artwork materials have been chosen with care to create the smallest impact possible on the planet. “We believe that the advancements within tech are a wonder, an asset, and one of humanity’s finest achievements,” said Connor Davey, Design Lead at Here. “Our latest Craft Week exhibition explores working generatively in this rapidly evolving place where man and machine meet. We’ve embraced the ways in which human subjectivity and soul can transform code-generated art to create pieces that embody our own company’s ‘code’ of value: making things that are both beautiful and useful.”

Photo: Ollie Tomlinson

The humble pixel led the way as pattern making was explored with generative techniques. Ben Elwyn, Creative Technologist at Here, shared that “GLSL shaders were coded to traverse and harness the controlled chaos of simplex noise to create a variety of patterns that evolved over time. By taking snapshots of these morphing designs, we created an abundance of imagery to be interpreted, curated, and crafted into other 2D and 3D forms in a diverse range of new and traditional materials.” Six works were included in Code/Craft/Chaos: Carbon Clever Screen Prints, a Code-Woven Quilt, Cyber Ceramics, a Digi Throw, Pixel Poetry, and Codes of Notes.

Photo: Lauren Maccabee

Hand-printed collages born from code, Carbon Clever Screen Prints began with an endless selection of computer-generated patterns. Here turned the random chaos into something more by digitally collaging patterns that were then locally screen-printed onto eco-conscious paper from GF Smith using Living Ink’s Algae Black™ – a carbon negative ink made from algae, not petroleum.

Photo: Ollie Tomlinson

Photo: Ollie Tomlinson

Here’s Code-Woven Quilt brings together digitally generated art and the craft of hand-weaving a tapestry. After being turned into a one-of-a-kind tapestry, the quilt was made from waste fabrics donated by responsible cashmere manufacturer Alex Begg. The project also required assistance from UK-based studio, ReWeave, who specialize in woven textile products and explore the possibility of circular fashion on an industrial scale. Yarn was created from the cashmere waste, giving shape to the quilt as code and craft were combined.

Photo: Ollie Tomlinson

Photo: Lauren Maccabee

Digitally generated 3D-printed ceramics have received their fair share of coverage, but the approach to Cyber Ceramics is more nuanced. Beginning with 2D shapes generated by code, Here turned their favorites into 3D bowls and had them printed within a mile of their studio. Because color was introduced to the clay in lumps, each appears at random, making every bowl unique. During the exhibition, the bowls were combined to form totem-like structures – afterward they could be disassembled and go back to their utilitarian purpose. Designed to last, these pieces explore the infinite forms that can be created using a combination of code and craft.

Photo: Ollie Tomlinson

Photo: Lauren Maccabee

Photo: Lauren Maccabee

To create the Digi Throw, Here worked with Netherlands-based creative textiles platform Byborre to responsibly source sustainable thread. The digitally made blankets layer machine-made patterns into a design of vibrant neon colors that complement the other artworks on display. Digi Throw is made from Byborre’s most sustainable material, a recycled polyester that’s made from post-consumption plastic bottles in Italy before being transformed into fabric without the use of chemicals. The process emitted 29.10% less carbon and saved 31.11 liters of water in making the throws when compared to the creation of traditional fashion textiles. From start to finish nothing goes to waste, because the blankets will only be made once they reach a minimum order quantity.

Photo: Lauren Maccabee

Perhaps a bit more unexpected, poetry can be created in collaboration with a machine – check out Pixel Poetry. Words are their own type of material and can be recycled all the same. In this case, short stories were written by hand for the exhibit before becoming redacted at random by machine. The result is complete chaos, but it’s entirely your own.

Photo: Ollie Tomlinson’

From words it’s only a natural progression to music. Codes of Notes is an animated triptych that moves in response to melodies generated using machines, but composed and arranged by a human. Collaged computer-generated soundbites created a new composition, while Here curated and arranged them into a harmony. In the end, human musicians played the music on their instruments, adding the elements of heart and soul to the digital masterpiece. Alongside, three generative animations respond to the music as it heightens, bringing with them even more unpredictable, chaotic algorithms.

To learn more about Here and the rest of their portfolio, visit heredesign.com.

Photographer: Lauren Maccabee
Stylist: Daisy Marlow
H&M: Joe Pickering
Models: Alexandra Beaton, Marvin Addae + Emma Flintham
Exhibition Photographer: Ollie Tomlinson

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

“My goal was to inspire joy and create a new form, ultimately becoming the next upholstered icon,” says Naoto Fukasawa about the Asari Chair, the designer’s new live/work effort for Herman Miller. “A core part of my design ethos is to simplify the way we live, imbuing each creation with an attraction that makes people feel dear to it, a timelessness and longevity that enhances a human process.” Abiding by these principles, the Tokyo-based designer has instilled an invitingly soft proposition for working professionals bridging the ergonomic gap between home and the office.

The chair’s name derives from the Japanese word for “clam,” an anthropomorphic metaphor for the chair’s sculpted high or mid height back design. The cushioned, segmented back and seat is available in eight colors, hues further accentuated by Fukasawa’s decision to continue each of the respective colors across the Asari’s base, arms, and chair body for a unified home furnishing feel rather than the appearance of office space utility (if monochromatic isn’t your thing, there’s an option to mix and match also available, with over 180 color combinations to choose from).

Ergonomics play a primary role in the design of the Asari’s sculpted back and cushion form, with a synchronous self-adjusting tilt and PostureFit support engineered to adjust to fill the void that exists between the lower back and the back of the chair.

The Asari’s gentle profile is further softened by the cushioned segmentation, a form similar to another design classic, the Eames Soft Pad Chair, yet even more supple in its pronounced ergonomics. Like his mid-century predecessor’s efforts, the more colorful upholstered options paired with Fukasawa’s design evoke a sense of playfulness, or even joy.

Herman Miller is promoting the Asari towards professionals who’ve migrated to working remotely or in a hybrid work arrangement, those with dedicated offices or multi-purpose living spaces who do not want to sacrifice aesthetics for functional ergonomic comforts.

On the flip-side, Herman Miller notes residential environment design has permeated into the office work environment, and Asari’s softened silhouette works equally well to introduce the relaxed feeling of home within a shared creative office or studio, existing in the in-between space of an upholstered armchair and a task chair.

The Asari starts at $1395 and is available in stores and online at both Herman Miller and Design Within Reach, or through MillerKnoll dealers for contract customers.

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 the Managing Editor of 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.

Pittsburgh-based spatial artist and designer, Brian Peters’ experimentation and exploration within the overlapping realms of architecture, art, and fabrication has culminated in the Dyadic Series, a new collection of limited-edition 3D-printed ceramic sculptures that offer a convincingly woven appearance rather than the hallmarks of typical 3D additive printing.

Peters’ multi-disciplinary approach integrates technology as a means to an end, rather than an end itself, an ethos in full display across these ceramic sculptures. “I am not interested in the perfection of machine-made objects,” remarks Peters, “But rather the art of integrating digital coding, custom-built technology, contemporary aesthetics, and natural clay.”

Each sculpture of the Dyadic Series is digitally crafted using a customized 3D printer, a machine Peters hacked to produce the convincing textured design. The bespoke 3D printer prints using two different colors of clay in a pattern that gives the appearance of a woven surface similar in weave to outdoor PVC plastic rugs. This two clay process makes the color integral to the piece, as the material is neither glazed nor colored after fabrication. Peters notes the custom 3D printer and coding process required over a year to develop and fine tune, with the Dyadic Series the first final sculptures utilizing these tools.

Drawing upon the natural world – flora, the artistry of patterning, and the complex geometries of contemporary forms – the Pennsylvania ceramicist distills beauty from his surroundings, transforming clay into remarkably intricate designs showcasing woven-like patterns and textures that tempt touch.

Each sculpture is signed and numbered by Peters.

Peters’ full portfolio of work spans a wide scale – from the intimate to site-specific installations such as his elegantly realized Prairie Cord, a 3D-printed ceramic block arch commissioned by the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin.

One of the vessels will be on exhibit at the Hunterdon Art Museum for Clay Bash 2023 through September, a triennial juried exhibition of ceramics. To inquire about availability and pricing, visit brian-peters.com.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of 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.

Anne Mooney, FAIA, LEED AP and founding principal at Salt Lake City- and Los Angeles-based Sparano + Mooney Architecture, knew from her very first design studio course that the industry was meant for her. “The work excited and engaged me in a way nothing else had,” she said. “The late nights and intensely rigorous work somehow energized me and tapped into a level of creativity that I hadn’t recognized in me before. It is an incredible gift to find the thing in life that you were meant to do as it sets us on a clear path for who we can become both professionally and personally.”

With more than 25 years of experience in architectural design, project management, and construction management, Anne oversees the planning, programming, design, and process management of the firm’s key projects. As an accredited professional since 2004, Anne steers the firm’s LEED and Net-Zero Energy coordination efforts to deliver sustainable design solutions for each client. She also currently serves as the Co-Chair of the AIA Utah Committee on the Environment (COTE) and the Building Envelope Council (BEC).

“My work has always been both a career and a hobby – I enjoy travel, film, reading, and daily life infused with great architecture and design. My favorite city is Barcelona. I had a memorable day there that included visits to Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia, the Joan Miro museum, and the Barcelona Pavilion. That was architectural heaven for someone like me,” she shared. “I have also had the experience of living in Italy on several occasions and this is a country that has design infused in all aspects of life from architecture and interiors, to fashion and food.”

“When I was in graduate school, I lived in Switzerland and visited the work of Le Corbusier in France and Switzerland. Experiencing these buildings in person (the housing, commercial, worship, and cultural spaces) made me understand the power of design in a visceral way that images are unable to convey,” Anne shared. “On a larger scale, the Marseille Unite d’Habitation was inspiring as it brought public amenities – childcare, shops, public art, etc. – into a residential building with small, but well-designed, units. And on the micro scale, the Le Corbusier cabin and house designed with Eileen Grey, E1027, are examples of simple domestic spaces along the beautiful French Riviera. Nearby you can also find the grave site he designed for himself and his wife as their final “home.” Proof that design is in everything if you only know how to look for it.

Anne has served as an architectural professor and design critic, training, educating, and mentoring emerging architects and design professionals. Her award-winning designs have been featured in over 35 national and international publications and exhibitions. She was named one of the Top Women in Architecture in 2020 by Mountain Living Magazine, and was awarded the Silver Medal by the AIA Western Mountain Region in 2021. Anne is also a committed educator of the next generation of architects holding an appointment as Professor of Architecture at the University of Utah School of Architecture.

Anne was elected to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2023. A monograph of the firm’s work and design process, titled Sparano + Mooney Architecture: A Way of Working, was published by Hatje Cantz (Berlin: 2022), and the firm’s premier exhibition exploring its methodology will open at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art from March 10 to July 15, 2023. Make sure to visit if you’re in town!

This week, Anne Mooney is joining us for Friday Five!

1. A love of materials

This spectacular piece of marble was found in the European Marble & Stone slab yard this year – one of the delights of working as an architect is discovering raw materials like this and designing spaces to celebrate them. In each design commission, we develop a material language and set of ideas around materials. This involves considering how materials are deployed in a design and detailed in the architecture. I am always looking at how we employ materials and finishes to convey ideas and curate experiences in the spaces we design.

2. Labyrinth in the Utah Desert

Spending time in nature is grounding and opens my mind creatively. This labyrinth in Kayenta, Utah is both a landscape and a meditative, moving
experience in the desert. I feel privileged to spend my time in the American West where we are surrounded by natural beauty, from the mountains to the deserts. The generations of artists working in this context are also inspiring – from those working with monumental land art installations to modest land form interventions like this assemblage of stones creating a pattern to form a purposeful path.

3. Phideaux strikes a relaxed pose

My trusty companion, Phideaux, is a joy to come home to each day and sometimes can be found next to me in the office! As work pressures inevitably rise up, it has been nice to have the reliable companionship of a beloved pet. At the end of the day, this pup is always happy to see me come through the door hoping for a few treats and with luck a walk or a hike along a favorite trail. Our home has concrete floors which are easy to maintain and forgiving with pets. Phideaux is seen here on a durable, indoor-outdoor Chilewich rug which is easy to clean when he tracks in mud from the garden.

4. Pottery made by my daughter, Claire

I love everyday objects we interact with often that are well-designed and constructed. This bowl was thrown by my daughter, Claire, who has a love of clay. The stoneware piece was made to be used as a small snack bowl or for ice cream, but I use it for everything. It has a lovely color and the bottom of the piece has the foot indented instead of the more commonly seen raised foot so it sits seamlessly on a surface.

5. Magical dawn lighting on a fall 2022 morning

No filters! This photograph was taken early one morning when the dawn light illuminated the fall foliage in the most magical way. Rare moments like these are fleeting and spectacularly rewarding for the early riser. In the span of ten minutes the view transformed into the typical morning view – which is still wonderful – but missing the extraordinary coloring offered just a bit earlier. I am not typically a morning person, but days like this are making me seriously reconsider!

Photography courtesy of Anne Mooney.

Work by Anne Mooney:

Canyon House, located in Emigration Canyon just above Salt Lake City, Utah. This contemporary family residence of 2,500 SF was designed for a couple with young children. The home was designed to capture expansive canyon views while offering a series of gathering and entertainment spaces for the family, both indoors and out. Photo: Dennis Mecham

St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church + Day Chapel. This worship project in West Jordan, Utah, began with community outreach, programming, and master planning phases led by Sparano + Mooney Architecture to help determine the vision for the replacement of a 1960s church and rectory building. Photo: Jeremy Bittermann

Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) at Utah State University. The façade design is composed of linear vertical panels of opaque and perforated zinc, referencing the materiality of the Performing Arts building but with a unique pattern and design approach. The porosity of the façade invites glimpses into the museum by the passerby, and at night the activity and exhibitions housed within glow through this façade. Photo: Jeremy Bittermann

Wabi-Sabi, located in Emigration Canyon above Salt Lake City. This home, designed for a young family, celebrates a unique elevated canyon view with a rare and direct connection to nature. The design was conceived as an expression of both static and dynamic elements, referencing the relationship among the mountain, vegetation, and wildlife on the site. Photo: Matt Winquist

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 senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

It’s been a short while since I’ve returned from the sultry Oaxacan coastline of Puerto Escondido, Mexico, after attending the third annual Mexico Design Fair. Unexpected plumes of volcanic ash blanketing Mexico City delayed arrivals and departures, foiling plans professional and personal alike. In hindsight, the pause offered a opportune moment to reflect upon both the parts and the sum of an event devised to spotlight the best of contemporary Mexican design, one as warmly memorable as the Pacific sunset that played backdrop for the entirety of our stay.

One of four main exhibition displays within Casa Naila curated by Carlos Torre Hütt emphasizing the region’s use of woven traditions reinterpreted into contemporary forms, including Hütt’s own Biombo Z wicker screen in yellow, Zebra table by Pedro Friedberg, and Porset lounge chair by Clara Porset. Photo: Gregory Han

Casa Naila’s four volume residence designed by BAA’Q Architects offered a gallery-like setting for attendees to experience the designs in changing light throughout the day. Photo: Jaime Navarro

Staged across various venues of architectural pedigree – Casa Naila, a  beachside residence designed by BAAQ’s Alfonso Quiñones, Casa Malandra designed by Alberto Calleja, the newly revealed Meridiano gallery by architect Tatsuro Miki and Axel Vervoordt, not to mention a slew of destinations orbiting the fair such as Tadao Ando designed Casa Wabi, many deserving of an architectural pilgrimage themselves – MDF vacillates between the intimate and social, quiet and celebratory, obvious and revelatory against a dramatic coastal backdrop.

Mexico Design Fair’s press preview offered media intimate access to the numerous installations staged within Casa Naila dramatically staged along Puerto Escondido’s coastline. From left to right: Wavy Bench, Bloom side table, and Ghost stool by Lyzbeth Lara and Prem Lorenzen, Kind Void Gray ceramic teapot collection by Lucila Rodarte, and Ajolote chair by Daniel Romero Valencia. Photo: Gregory Han

MDF is staged as a testament to the numerous talents of contemporary design working across Mexico City and beyond, a creative scene that isn’t always given its proper dues north of its borders. The event is in some sense curated to illuminate and inform all attendees across its three days of tours, talks, and festivities, but also celebrate knowingly of their own growing importance – a manifestation of IFYKYK.

First and foremost is the incomparable daydream residence of Casa Naila, a four structure home opened to the elements and guests during Mexico Design Fair. Orchestrated by MDF founder and chief curator Carlos Torre Hütt, the beachside escape was made into a loosely woven narrative of rooms showcasing traditions of materiality unique to Mexico. A few favorites below:

Photo by Gerardo Maldonado

The flawlessly polished metal surface of the Rainfall console by Lyzbeth Lara and Prem Lorenzen/STUDIO LINE BETWEEN dazzled with its evolving presence reflecting color, light, and its surroundings, day thru night. Photos: Gregory Han

The arching handles impart the “Kind Void Gray” ceramic teapot collection by Lucila Rodarte a delicate sculptural elegance of a swan neck. Photo: Gregory Han

The mesmerizing chromatic geometry of “Portal in Wool” rugs by Venezuelan artist Johanna Boccardo for ODABASHIAN set along a pair of wood chairs – “Ajolote II” and “Ajolote III” – by Daniel Romero Valencia, the recipient of the 2023 MDF Designer of the Year award. Photo: Gregory Han

Casa Naila’s kitchen was converted into a showroom/gift shop for Guadalajara-based Albergue Transitorio,
displaying a range of design objects, crafts, accessories, and jewelry. Photo: Gregory Han

Set along to complement the main exhibition within Casa Naila, Fernanda Antillón and Mariano Rodea of the Leon based firm Casa Blanca Oficina worked with Javier Marín Foundation’s Fábrica de San Pedro in Uruapan, Michoacan to erect a shade structure that operated both as totem and refuge from the elements – soft architecture designed for temporary inhabitance, respectful of its imprint upon the site.

Activated by the gentlest presence of an ocean breeze, Casa Blanca Oficina’s fabric paneled wood framed shade structure flaps open, welcoming attendees into an intimate face-to-face seating interior. Photo: Gregory Han

A glance upward revealing the structural framework of Casa Blanca Oficina’s thoughtfully constructed shade structure, engineered to withstand the ocean breeze.  Photo: Gerardo Maldonado

Photo: Jaime Navarro

Mexico City–based designer Daniel Romero Valencia was awarded Designer of the Year framed within the Escher-esque brutalist confines of architect Alberto Calleja’s Casa Malandra. Photo: Gregory Han

The 2023 Mexico Design Fair concluded with a literal bang, dazzling beachside guests and locals with a pyrotechnic show choreographed by Canadian artist Brendan Fernandes incorporating traditional Mexican handcrafted “castillos” (castles) and “toritos” (little bulls) set ablaze to music.

The pyramid frame centerpiece, a Mexican portable pyrotechnic structure that would later be set ablaze into an explosive conclusion complemented by a dance program choreographed by Canadian artist Brendan Fernandes. Photo: Gregory Han

Fernandes’ sculptural pyrotechnic installation “The Light Will Call” represents a collaboration with the Martínez family from Salamanca, Guanajuato, a team with generational experience handling fireworks so intimately. The pyramid was inverted at the start of the program, becoming a symbol of newness and a sign for Queer space and otherness, then dissolving into a slowly burning sphere, “representative of a new day and the beginning of a new tomorrow.” Photo: Jaime Navarro

Noting the growth of Mexico’s contemporary design scene, Mexico Design Fair’s imprint will continue to deepen globally. Yet in attendance the event’s organizers reveal a welcome appreciation in nurturing an intimate and natural ambiance where designers and collectors alike are allowed to organically develop an understanding of the who, how, where, and why behind each design – an opportunity often absent during larger and crowded traditional trade shows. Here along the Oaxacan coastline, each object’s material and form are given a valuable context tied to landscape, the craft/artisan culture, and history of Mexico itself, washing upon the mind in rhythm with the ever-present crashing of the waves.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of 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.

Grand Bay Residences is a minimal residential building located in Key Biscayne, Florida, with a lobby designed by Hino Studio, with spaces that utilize natural tones and earthy hues to evoke a sense of tranquility and calmness throughout. Neutral patterns were threaded throughout the home to establish a seamless visual continuity. Materials such as linen and jute were used to create an organic touch that enhance the inherent warmth of the space.

A series of meticulously-crafted custom built-ins are featured within the residence. Detailed cabinetry and thoughtfully designed shelves are expressed through understated trim work and expert craftsmanship. Apart from aesthetic statements, these elements provide practical storage solutions as well.

Interspersed strategically, blackened steel details create bold counterpoints to the soft, muted tones surrounding them. This juxtaposition of industrial strength against delicate fabric establishes a compelling balance between the robust and the soft, introducing elements of contrast within the interior landscape.

Photography by Kris Tamburello.

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.

Can we ask you something personal? How often do you clean your floors? If you’re like us, busy and stretched thin, probably not as often as you’d like. Wayward pieces of popcorn, strands of hair, stains from spills past and forgotten, with a community of dust bunnies peeking out from underneath the sofa – they are all remnants and reminders of responsibilities deferred till “tomorrow.” But we understand – cleaning can be a tedious task, especially within homes with a mix of floor surfaces, requiring switching between vacuuming and mopping. Thankfully, autonomous cleaning technologies designed to relieve the burden of everyday chores have continued to improve to the point where there is a strong argument that every home should have a bit of robotic help around the house.

This is where the state-of-the-art ECOVACS DEEBOT T20 OMNI presents a very compelling solution: a 4-stage autonomous cleaning system equipped to solve the either/or dilemma of cleaning both hard and soft surfaces. Equipped with a flexible vacuum and mop hybrid system, complete with integrated hot water mop and drying, the DEEBOT T20 OMNI distinguishes itself from other robot vacuum cleaners by offering an unmatched degree of cleaning capabilities without compromise, cleaning and emptying dry or wet debris automatically.

The promise of a cleaner home done faster – and better – than other robot vacuums is made possible by ECOVACS’s OZMO Turbo 2.0 mopping system, a hot water mop washing technology engineered to automatically detect grime while gliding across hard surfaces, applying a water heated pressure wash at 131°F to easily remove stains and loosen debris. A pair of spinning mop heads rotate 180 times per minute to make floors sparkle before concluding with a blow of hot air, speeding up drying for near instantaneous results.

Regardless of your home’s decor and furnishing, the T20 OMNI is ready to confidently negotiate any floor plan using the same LiDAR-based technology that helps self-driving cars navigate city streets.

Imagine sending out the DEEBOT T20 OMNI for one last clean sweep on days when you have guests coming over. Or scheduling the vac every morning after you leave for work, ensuring you return to a home that is cleaner than when you left. Instead of worrying about wet footprints or slips and slides, you can trust that your floors will be dry and safe for kids, pets, and everyone else at home.

In addition to these standout features, the DEEBOT T20 Omni robotic vacuum excels in everyday vacuuming duties with its intelligent mapping system. An array of sensors allows for efficient and thorough cleaning, effortlessly navigating through normal furnishings and everyday objects within the home, and capable of getting to those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies most robot vacuums skip over.

The vacuum’s powerful category-leading 6000Pa suction power suction, aided by a new rubber brush with spiraling blades, ensures that every speck of dirt is grabbed, leaving no trace behind. Most importantly, the DEEBOT T20 Omni’s strength is its adaptability and versatility, equipped with sensors that can automatically detect whether your floors require vacuum-only cleaning, mop-only cleaning, vacuuming while mopping, or vacuuming first before mopping.

ECOVACS designed the DEEBOT T20 Omni to be fully compatible with smart home systems, allowing you to control and schedule cleaning sessions with ease using Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts or by calling out, “OK YIKO” with the ECOVACS app.

The DEEBOT T20 Omni is a shining example of how the smart home has advanced to a degree where robotic technologies no longer exist as speculative “in the future” promises, but are now genuinely making the most mundane of everyday duties less burdensome, and adapting to how you live instead of requiring you to adapt to the technology you’ve invited into your home. To learn more about the ECOVACS DEEBOT T20 OMNI and all of ECOVACS robot vacuums, visit meetdeebot.com and ecovacs.com.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of 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.