The art-led multidisciplinary research project Dung Dkar Cloak is an interactive installation combining digital jacquard weaving, sound synthesis, fractal geometry, and algorithmic thinking to unfold matter into the visual and sonic domain. Designed by EJTECH, Judit Eszter Kárpáti, and Esteban de la Torre, the hybrid augmented textiles provide a multi-sensory experience as haptic interactions when the jacquard woven fractal patterns are sonified in real-time via soundscapes.

The Dung Dkar series was developed at the Material Research Hub within the Innovation Center of the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest, Hungary. The art installation was then exhibited, observed, and tested in a live environment during Sound Scene at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C., the region’s premier interactive sound and multi-sensory arts festival. Attendees were invited to interact with the textiles by touching the fractal patterns and manipulating them to generate a live musical composition.

The relationship between math and textiles is obvious to those who work with fiber arts, but it’s not common within scholarly literature. The study of fractals dates back to the 17th century, but it wasn’t until the silicon chip was developed in the 1980s that it could be proven, visualized, or manifested.

However, textile patterns or structures using recursion can be found in traditional textiles. An example is the Shipibo tribe, who live in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest and are known for their intricate embroidery and the relation of textiles to shamanic rituals. As they embroider, the Shipibo women chant Icaros, creating visual music scores that are embedded into patterns corresponding to music of the their culture.

The two jacquard woven fractal interfaces contain visual cues where interaction areas are embedded, seamlessly woven into the textile. Touch sensitive soft interfaces discern between touch and no touch to trigger sounds, but Dung Dkar Cloaks also sense the amount of touch, allowing for expressive gestures of interaction with the soft musical interface. The depth of the gestures controls the amount within signalflow – a system that allows for high control resolution of parameters (ie. filter cutoff).

The materiality of textiles with their sensory rich qualities have the potential to uncover a new level of design and evaluation of future interfaces for human-computer interaction. Dung Dkar Cloak demonstrates possibilities and aesthetics for augmented multi-sensorial textiles as a contribution to our understanding and future development of interaction design.

Judit Eszter Kárpáti + Esteban de la Torre

To learn more about the Dung Dkar Cloak, visit ejtech.studio.

Photography by Dávid Biró and Krisztina Bilák.

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.

There’s a category in home audio referred to as architectural speakers, audio gear specifically conceived to seamlessly blend into interior decor. TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. Sounds. represents the exact opposite with a towering 43″ tall slab of polycarbonate composite resin fashioned to look like a piece of cracked concrete to reveal one of New York’s most iconic landmarks underneath. It is a floor standing wireless speaker intended to be seen as much as heard.

Co-created by fashion designer Takahiro Miyashita, the TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. Sounds. sold out its second run featuring the same multi-floor vertical architecture housing 7 speaker units within: two 6.5″ woofers, two 3″ mid-range, and three 1″ tweeters. In sum, it’s good for a muscular output of up to 110dB, rated at 2000W power, and operates at a frequency range of 20Hz ~ 25KHz. That should be plenty loud, with the engineers promising “spectacular sound pressure that can be felt directly on the skin.”

Housed within a deteriorating triangular block of faux concrete weighing about 55lbs, the floor speaker gives off a strong whiff of Daniel Arsham’s similarly conceived “modern artifact” aesthetic, with the 175 Fifth Avenue address reproduced in intricate detail.

Priced at $6,345.32, TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. Sounds. speaker’s main appeal might be built upon the premise of purchasing a collectible statement piece rather than a serious audiophile component. But as the first time around proved, there’s as much a market for visually engaging objects as there are aurally satisfying creations.

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.

In 2020 during the height of the pandemic, Italian brand Miniforms launched its Soda side tables designed by Yiannis Ghikas. The glass side table is mouth-blown and shaped by three glassmakers in a process that requires it to be made upside down (you can see the video here). The brand recently added new shapes – oval and squared – to the collection, creating a cohesive family that still highlights the beauty of Murano glass.

The Soda side tables have either two, three, or four “stems,” or bases, that support the surface top. There are four available colors: amber, petrol green, amethyst, and blue. The hammered finish gives them a primitive quality and complements the design’s soft, minimalist silhouette. With its new shapes adding variety to the collection, Soda continues to bring a delightful splash of color to modern interiors.

To learn more about the Soda collection, visit miniforms.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.

As an early adopter of IKEA’s first wave of smart home devices – speakers, light bulbs, air purifiers, and even roller shades – we were always left with the feeling the world’s largest furniture retailer was still missing a few essential pieces of the smart home pie. While the Swedish brand invested in bringing an array of smart charging, illuminating, and connected audio devices, until now IKEA had yet to serve the home monitoring category. The introduction of VALLHORN, PARASOLL, and BADRING arrives as a welcome addition, bringing affordable, and easy-to-install home monitoring solutions in typical IKEA fashion.

PARASOLL is a discrete sensor designed to mount on windows and doors similar to offerings from SimpliSafe and SmartThings. IKEA’s slim sensor is designed to keep tabs whenever an entry point is opened or closed via app notification.

VALLHORN is an indoor and outdoor wireless motion sensor equipped with lights that illuminate upon detecting movement. Additionally, the light’s colors and intensity are adjustable.

The third sensor, BADRING, is engineered to keep tabs upon the most expensive of residential concerns: water leakage. Placed near areas where water might be of concern, the discrete device notifies users upon detecting leaks, through sending mobile notifications or activation of its built-in alarm.

All three of IKEA’s smart sensors rely upon Zigbee software for its app communication and connectivity protocol, and are designed to work within the IKEA Home smart system ecosystem, each smart safety product has a clear function and connects seamlessly to the DIRIGERA Hub for an easy and customizable experience.

Pricing has yet to be revealed but expect the PARASOLL and VALLHORN to arrive at an IKEA near you this month, with the BADRING water sensor scheduled for a spring appearance in April 2024.

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

Raw, natural beauty brings the charm of flora and fauna into your space through the Habitat Collection designed by Name Place Animal Thing. Four new pieces make up the series including the Moose Cabinet | Sideboard, Caterpillar Bar Unit, Alpaca Bar Cabinet, and Mushroom Floor Lamps available in small and large sizes. Surefire conversation starters, these statement pieces are meant to be fun and functional, bringing a smile to the face of whomever sees them.

Designed to be used as a cabinet or sideboard, Moose can also work as a bedroom dresser if desired. Inspired by its namesake animal, the oak wood piece features color-stained plug-and-play accessories that can be chosen to match your needs. Antlers can hold your keys, hats, and scarves. The Bowl attachment is a place to stash sunglasses and other accessories. And mirrors give you somewhere to check your smile before heading out the door. Display whatever you like on the open shelves and hide everything else behind Moose’s smart push-to-open doors. Behind them you’ll find a wonderfully unexpected green stained interior.

Moose Cabinet | Sideboard

Moose Cabinet | Sideboard

This piece is as sculptural as it is functional. Give it a spin to reveal the hidden bar – or whatever other treasures you decide to hide on its shelves. Crafted using white ash wood, Caterpillar is finished with an Italian water-based matte coating that highlights its curves and quirky presence.

Caterpillar Bar Unit

Caterpillar Bar Unit

Caterpillar Bar Unit

Do you see it? The good times begin with the Alpaca Bar Cabinet’s head and keep going from there! The animal’s usual stance is mimicked in the unexpected lines of the cabinet – the “head” even turns to reveal a hidden compartment that hold smaller bottles. Crafted using white ash wood, its textured doors and turned wood legs are real showstoppers. Shake up your signature cocktail on the countertop, with plenty of space below to hold bottles and two dozen wine glasses. A drawer – the “neck” – is the perfect place to store your bar accessories.

Alpaca Bar Cabinet

Alpaca Bar Cabinet

Alpaca Bar Cabinet

Alpaca Bar Cabinet

Mushrooms are having a moment in design, but the Mushroom Floor Lamps’ appeal goes far beyond. Constructed using fabric and powder-coated metal, it brings a dose of welcomed charm to any room. Choose from two sizes: small and large.

Mushroom Floor Lamps

Mushroom Floor Lamps

Mushroom Floor Lamp

Mushroom Floor Lamp

To learn more about the Habitat Collection, visit nameplaceanimalthing.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.

The new Peninsula Hotel London is likely to become a popular destination of jet setters, which may partially explain why there’s now a 2,700-pound scale sculpture model of the Concorde hanging overhead inside Brooklands, their rooftop dining destination inside the classic-era British aviation and motorsport inspired space.

Created by industrial design firm Discommon, the sleek aerodynamic silhouette of the Concorde was installed to become the centerpiece and focal point of the luxury hotel’s restaurant, an “homage to British aviation and cars” that required several feats of engineering. The challenges faced were not only in piecing together the sculpture comprising a dizzying 11,420 components, but perhaps more so in getting a gargantuan, fully machined aluminum object overhead and safely secured.

Discommon founder Neil Ferrier affectionately calls the project “the world’s most accurate jigsaw puzzle,” as the speedform silhouette is pieced together with 400 custom machined panels secured by over 3,000 brackets and 8,000 bolts that fit together with the utmost precision. Over the span of three years in design and development, Discommon considered every painstaking detail, taking on various roles and responsibilities from engineering to manufacturing to final install.

“This was a hugely complicated feat of design, engineering, problem solving and manufacturing that demanded nothing short of our best,” notes Ferrier, “Over the past three years this passion project has presented us with the opportunity to push the boundaries of design and deliver a culmination of creativity, engineering expertise and design intricacy that we are truly proud of. We are honored to present our ode to British aviation in flight at the monumental Peninsula Hotel.”

While a hypersonic jaunt across the Atlantic to London, or anywhere by Concorde, is out of the picture (the jet’s last retiring flight was in 2003), Discommon does offer a Concorde-inspired duo of commemorative designs – a poster print of their 3D model, alongside a walnut speedform sculpture of the jet.

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.

STUDIO K’s empathetic design ethos still echoes through the 25,000-square-feet of wellness, work, and community spaces comprising BIÂN – Chicago’s premiere health and social club – some three years later in a testament to the multidisciplinary firm’s holistic approach and collaborative workflow. Housed in a bi-level commercial building, the comprehensive network of spaces – including fitness, recovery, nutrition, medicine or alternative therapies, socialization, and spa – feels more like a biosphere for living than the simple summation of programming that constitutes a typical luxury facility with a similar focus. Forgoing trendy finishes or Insta-friendly set dressings, which often pander to contemporary gym-goers looking to generate content for social currency, BIÂN’s interiors support the services provided instead of functioning as a backdrop for activities.

Soft linen is set against comforting wool fabrics that cascade across windows, offering respite from the bustling city in the social lounge’s main seating area. Photo: Eric Kleinberg

This main bar in the social lounge is finished in leather. Photo: Anthony Tahlier

The social lounge uses white oak and beechwood materials to radiate a calming, warm atmosphere. Photo: Eric Kleinberg

The social lounge at the club’s entrance also features a 14′ custom communal table. Photo: Eric Kleinberg

“We were sure to use as many natural materials throughout the club wherever possible: wood, leather, textiles, and lime plaster. In addition, we layered each of these in a way to create a sense of warmth and welcoming,” Karen Herold, designer and principal of STUDIO K, says. “[The challenges presented by austere industrial architecture were resolved] by focusing on highly textural, soft but light materials accented with moments of black wood and steel. And we worked with a talented lighting designer to wash the entire space in a glow.” Maximalist textures help minimalist interventions punch up for what all parties involved refer to as “industrial zen.” And minimalist touches create contrast by articulating historical elements to create a supercharged visual language.

The staircase leads members from the social lounge down to the gym and spa facilities. Behind the wood louver screens is the medical facility. Photo: Anthony Tahlier

The sushi counter is located on the lower floor and adjacent to the gym showcasing blue vinyl upholstery flanked by the plaster raked columns. Photo: Eric Kleinberg

Members can rent access to a listening room completely sound insulated with a specialty entertainment system and vinyl records. Photo: Anthony Tahlier

The listening room also showcases a daily rotating arrangement of records hand-selected by partner Kevin Boehm. Photo: Eric Kleinberg

Locker rooms include amenities like a steam room, cold plunge, and customized shower experiences. Photo: Eric Kleinberg

The relaxation lounge and spa located at the lower level provides a place for patrons to wait for their treatments or relax afterwards. The chaise lounges are custom creations by STUDIO K. Photo: Eric Kleinberg

Each ecosystem within the larger biome has a focus that caters to the moment at hand while allowing for artful transition into the next, which begins upon entry where guests are received at a round apothecary table. Members meander from program to program receiving subtle cues from a neutral-toned concoction of creams, whites, and taupes that gradually shift only to mingle with accents like inky blue furnishings and living greens. A change from linen to wool textiles plays with light and spatial transparency while the density of slatted surface treatments or wood grain patterning affects vibrations resonating from the room.

Patient rooms within the medical office suite are outfitted with calm and spa-like interiors to ensure an elevated experience while adhering to regulations that apply to standard facilities. Photo: Anthony Tahlier

One of multiple reformer studios for pilates. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC

Custom gym cubbies, closets, and seating line the hall outside the main fitness studio. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC

“Aside from the fact that our brand is built upon collaboration and integration of philosophies, the way that the design lends itself to allowing for each area to have appropriate space while being welcoming to the other areas of the club, is simply magnificent,” Mar Soraparu, Co-Founder & Chief Wellness Officer of BIÂN, says. “The color palette, unique features, artistic details, and the comfort and calmness of the lighting choices that allow for many activities to be done comfortably, and with a luxurious feel, exudes BIÂN while offering members pathways to live a more vital life however they choose.”

Members can work or lounge in the 10,000-square-feet of expanded space creating an extension of the main social lounge. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC

The new coworking space features a rust-colored leather wrapped bar for food and berate service, which was inspired by sushi counters. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC

This expanded space hosts many member-only events, as well as conference gatherings. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC

Successful design elements echo through the most fresh of co-working spaces, inclusive of the architectural finishes, furniture, decorative lighting, and artwork initially curated upon opening. Photo: AA SNAPS LLC

Photography by Eric Kleinberg, Anthony Tahlier, and AA SNAPS LLC, respectively.

With professional degrees in architecture and journalism, Joseph has a desire to make living beautifully accessible. His work seeks to enrich the lives of others with visual communication and storytelling through design. A regular contributor to titles under the SANDOW Design Group, including Luxe and Metropolis, Joseph serves the Design Milk team as their Managing Editor. When not practicing, he teaches visual communication, theory, and design. The New York-based writer has also contributed to exhibitions hosted by the AIA New York’s Center for Architecture and Architectural Digest, and recently published essays and collage illustrations with Proseterity, a literary publication.

As an unapologetic admirer of everything watchmaker Ressence does in distinguishing itself within the horological realm (their TYPE 3 model was one of our holiday gift picks), I came to an abrupt pause while doom scrolling when I happened upon the brand’s post announcing a new TYPE 1° Round M – a wristwatch inspired by the “graphic arts.”

The titanium case timepiece is realized in a quartet of polychromatic  contrasting rings of red, blue, yellow, and green that almost seems digitally projected. A close up inspection reveals the orbiting dial design with minute details of an object more akin to a paper art print rather than a device of mechanical nature.

The 5 minute video below illustrates how the watch operates and how to tell time using it:

The TYPE 1° Round’s playful design maximizes the brand’s signature water drop, sealed oil and air chamber into a highly legible display with a degree of simplicity bordering on the abstract.

The watch features a caseback winding mechanism that hides flush in open sight across the top of the Type 1 watch. The self-winding design allows for 36 hours of power reserve, while vibrating 28,800 per hour.

This watch embodies the principle of a functional colour palette, combining soft hues to create a visually pleasing and practical timepiece. With this new piece owners are sure to make a strong and distinctive impression.

– Benoît Mintiens, Ressence Founder

The CHF 16,800.00 price tag converts to just past the hour of $19,000 USD, meaning only the most well-heeled creative directors out there will be able to fathom becoming the owner of Ressence’s canvas of color, the TYPE 1° Round M.

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.

With the reintroduction of work-from-home employees back at the office, many are experiencing a noticeable shock to the senses – the sounds of others nearby. While collaboration may improve with proximity to others, the ambient noises can prove highly disruptive to productivity and focus. This is a jarring change for some following years siloed in silence at home. The Vapor Echo Acoustic LED Pendant by Luxxboxx is one of numerous solutions designed to help dampen ambient noises while also illuminating spaces from overhead.

As with any room, the more soft surface objects within it the less echo and amplification of sounds exists. Most of the time that means introducing acoustic dampening in the direct surroundings, whether it be upholstered furnishings, rugs, or even wall panels engineered to absorb sound. But what about sounds sent upward and then reflect back outward? Acoustic lighting is a growing segment aimed primarily at the commercial sector made to mitigate sound from overhead using lighting already required within a workspace.

The Vapor Echo’s large surface area operates as an acoustic sound wave dampening object, helping absorb conversation, phone calls, or other workday sounds captured from within its perimeter to prevent noise pollution.

Rated with a Unified Glare Rating (UGR)  of less than 19, the Vapor Echo is designed for a strong downward component, little lateral output (so the beam angle is relatively narrow) and can accommodate an uplight component. Made from recycled materials, the fixture’s form isn’t limited to a cylinder, but can also be specced in rectangular and cylindrical forms to suit a workspace’s decor and dimensions.

The largest 58.3″ Vapor Echo pendant offers a wide diameter surface of sound absorption ideal for conference rooms or other meeting spaces.

Available in three sizes and in a range of colors, the 100% recyclable Luxxbox pendant is outfitted with a dimmable LED that can also be customized to direct light upwards for ambient lighting.

The Luxxbox Vapor Echo and the brand’s other acoustic lights do not create a complete cone of silence, but combined with other thoughtfully planned layouts and soft surfaces, the sum of the efforts can mean the difference between a workspace of welcome collaboration or a den of distraction.

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.

Ask any artist how they found themself in the art world and many will regale you with a tale of an unexpected career path. Dwight White II is a Chicago- and Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist who turned to the medium after suffering a life-changing injury while playing football at Northwestern University. This pivot to another this interest has carried Dwight down a winding path to a place where his work straddles fine art, sociology, and experiential design.

“It clicked for me during grad school at Northwestern University while I was studying marketing. I was completely in a phase of exploration and curiosity beyond my formal education. Living alone for the first time in the city with no roommates, I was forced to sit in my thoughts more and ask myself real questions like, ‘What is your purpose?’,” White shared. “Although I didn’t have a clear answer, I did understand my interests and potential impact beyond athletics. After spending the next few years building within the arts community and immersing myself in Chicago culture, it became more clear that the arts was where I belong – and sitting at my corporate desk became destructive to my overall well-being, knowing I had no flexibility to take complete ownership of my career journey.”

His background in marketing and consumer insights inspired White’s work and his search for the ways truth can be captured visually to engage and connect with people. Nuanced Black human behavior and personal experiences are large parts of his art. These themes are prevalent subjects taking the consumer beyond visuals and into the realm of feeling.

“Even while I was still working a full-time corporate role in 2018, by that point art was already a career in my mind. I was committing nearly equal time to both careers and it was a priority to me. I would get extremely offended when my craft was positioned as a hobby, considering my passion for art,” White adds.

The artist’s ideas and strategies take root in his understanding of how consumers think and make decisions when it comes to brands, products, and the arts. His studies at Northwestern have given him the tools and insight to inspire, innovate, and explore subject matter through a lens of culture and creativity. In this way, White has worked to build strategies for growth with organizations across industries through the understanding of complex societal structures and behaviors of consumers.

Over the past few years, White has become a sought-after artist, working with individuals and companies doing art activations for Nike, Levi’s, Lululemon, Pinterest, the Chicago Bulls, and more. He’s embracing his role in society to document the history of connected cultural experiences through art and hoping to further tap into his interests in fashion, interior, and experiential design in the future.

Today, Dwight White II is joining us for Friday Five!

Photo: Max Sansing

This is one of the first murals by Max Sansing that I came across in Chicago, which inspired me to pursue art more seriously, but also consider the possibility of painting murals at scale.

Photo: 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

This is the first piece that I ever painted as a young adult. I saw this work by Fernand Leger at the Art institute of Chicago during an intro to art course at Northwestern University. We were instructed to select a piece that grabbed our attention and replicate it. This experience validated my ability to paint and inspired me to begin the journey of becoming an artist.

Photo: Porsche/Daniel Arsham

This brand collaboration made me think outside the box in regards to what it looks like to create with brands that you admire and respect. Partnering with brands can sometimes be difficult, but selecting the right ones who fit your overall mission and aesthetic can be very rewarding.

Photo: NIKE

Converse has always been a brand I’ve admired. It’s fresh, original, and vintage. When I saw Virgil Abloh contribute his creative brilliance to the Converse portfolio, I was inspired and intrigued by sneaker culture and the mindset of the current young consumer landscape. The willingness for one to pay $1,000+ for a sneaker that typically can be purchased for under $70 was a clear discovery on how differently art is valued versus the average consumer product, good, or service.

Photo: Dwight White II

5. Pressure is a Privilege

Throughout my career, I have felt constant pressure – driven by my personal expectations of self and what I may assume others expect of me. For whatever reason, pressure has always been a valuable addition to my ability to create great things and I feel honored that my community sees high potential in my craft and abilities. That alone drives me even when I have self doubt.

Work by Dwight White II:

“Employee of the Month” Mural, Dwight White II Photo: David Alexander

“Change the Game” by Dwight White II Photo: Jaylen Prater

“Super Lu” Mural by Dwight White II Photo: Steve Rokicki

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.