That age-old hobby that your grandmother might have enjoyed in her spare time is the same one that inspired The New Raw’s latest project, Knotty. At this year’s Milan Design Week 2023, the Rotterdam-based design studio by architects Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki will be unveiling a series of benches with a peculiar tactile material reminiscent of knitted textiles. Visitors will able to check out the experimental project at Alcova from April 17th – 23rd, 2023.

Known for innovating on their own digital techniques through trial and error to create their designs, The New Raw was able to bring this 3D-sculpted fabric to life by combining traditional handwork with digital methods of fabrication. “We use analogue knitting techniques in homage to the continuous thread of the manufacturing process, testing them out on large and hard furniture surfaces. With our work we want to tangibly express the transition from traditional to digital, and from virtual to physical, with a twist,” the studio shares. Using plastic waste, the studio is able to create a continuous thread that folds, twists, and loops, forming a surface that’s irresistible to touch. Because of variables like temperature during production and the material’s own mechanical properties, there are minor irregularities in the benches, just like any hand-knitted piece.

Photo: Mathijs Labadie

Photo: Mathijs Labadie

Photo: Mathijs Labadie

Photo: Mathijs Labadie

Photo: Mathijs Labadie

Photo: Mathijs Labadie

Photo: Mathijs Labadie

Photo: Mathijs Labadie

Photo: Michele Margot

Photo: Michele Margot

Photo: Michele Margot

Photo: Michele Margot

Architects Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki of The New Raw

The Knotty family of benches will be produced in three different shapes and sizes, and two colors, mint and peach. The project will be on view at A12, Ex-Macello di Porta Vittoria – Viale Molise 62, Milan.

As the Lifestyle 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.

Being Arab and British, designer Samar Maakaroun says she exists in the space between the two through work that embraces nuance, complexity, interaction, and play. Forever in search of opportunity and information, Samar’s designs explore the intersections, integrations, alignments, and divergences that can be found in between language, culture, aesthetics, and visual approaches.

The design world is somewhere Samar has known she belongs for quite some time. “I was maybe 8 or 9 years old, my siblings were playing outdoors, but I had decided that I will make a three dimensional house out of paper inside my french literature sketchbook. I do not remember the book I was trying to design for, nor did I know what paper art was at that age, but what stayed vividly with me was the satisfaction of making an idea in my head materialize into real life,” she shared. “The enjoyment I got once I managed to achieve this abstract idea despite all the creative blocks, not knowing much, and the stacks of paper I worked through … I was totally immersed, in full flow, oblivious to what my siblings were doing and anything outside the pages of my sketchbook.”

At one point, Samar experienced a show by Xavier le Roi — “Product of Circumstances” (1999) – at the Ayloul festival in Beirut. It left an impression, and also happens to be a wonderful example of crossover. “It was a sort of lecture performance about the artist’s double life as a choreographer as well as a molecular biologist,” she said. “The story in a nutshell drew parallels between the controlled environments of scientific labs and his inability or ability to control his body. I remember being fascinated by his humor, how we turned such a simple dichotomy into a very engaging performance, while raising philosophical questions about structures of control and hierarchies of power. The actor was moving in space between the two sides of the stage, one dedicated to the science, and one to the dance, simple and effective spacial alignment with the subject matter.”

With over two decades of experience, Samar has had the chance to work on landmark identities with some of the world’s biggest design studios, including Pentagram, M&C Saatchi, and Apple. She’s helped M&C Saatchi coin the first ever integrated destination Brand – Brand Dubai – which launched in 2014 and is still going strong. In 2015, Samar assisted Apple in building their brand in Arabic with their digital, retail, and print teams. And she’s worked with Pentagram to rebrand the Abu Dhabi Media portfolio, and later brought the Diriyah City brand to life.

Then in 2022, Samar and a team of four designers, spanning three generations and speaking seven languages between them, formed Right to Left. The studio introduced a fresh approach to the London design industry by bringing together designers who cover every aspect of brand design – from naming and strategy, brand identity, motion design, signage, and way finding to digital-content development, cultural consultancy, and editorial design. In short, Right to Left specializes in designing for hybrid brands by integrating worlds, cultures, and languages.

When not designing, she enjoys cooking or taking a walk to make the switch from work mode to personal life. Today, Samar Maakaroun is joining us for Friday Five!

Samir Sayegh, Strokes in Dialogue, Kalimat wa Hurouf, Ink on Paper, 70 x 100 cm, 2013 Photo courtesy of Athr Art

1. Samir Sayegh

Samir Sayegh is an incredible artist whose body of work in modernizing the Arabic script spans decades. He was my Arabic typography teacher during my BA years, and he is now a friend and mentor. Samir taught me, and all the designers of my generation, so much about typography, life, and the art of the script. His work has inspired everyone working with Arabic typography today. Samir is one of those artists who are ahead of their time, and I do hope one day that I would get to see a retrospective of his work, hopefully soon, in one of the design museums in London.

Photo courtesy AIUIa

The Arabic Design Archive is an open platform digitizing documents from the history of design in the Arab world, including book covers, posters, stamps, invitations, and other ephemera. It aims to address the absence of open source archival material, the scarcity of history books on design, as well as the lack of local governmental initiatives to write and safeguard their creative histories. Our histories inform our present and future and are essential to any practicing designer today. I chose to include this pick as it is a huge ambitious effort worth celebrating.

Photo: Yi-Zhi Huang

Although this book is designed for children, I find a lot of joy flicking through its pages. The shapes and structures created with colored paper of varying thicknesses are just delightful. It’s a fantastic sculptural object featuring a different surprise on every page. Perhaps this book, to me, is one possible iteration of good design: mixing color and science, playing with form and texture, removing all excess, crafting beautifully to end up with something that surprises and delights. All the while making it look seemingly effortless.

Photo: Samar Maakaroun

4. Hegra National Heritage Site (AlUla), Saudi Arabia

I recently had the opportunity to visit AlUla to run a workshop with local people as part of a program directed by Arts AlUla, in Saudi Arabia. During my stay I had the opportunity to join a guided tour of the stunning heritage site, Hegra, pictured above. It is rare these days to find a destination so arresting, and yet so hidden from travel books and blogs. What was most striking in this place was the contrast of opposites, desert and oasis, heat of the day and cold of the night, flat sand and utterly ragged textured mountains, old town and new architecture, traditional farmers mingling with contemporary artists. The energy of a place transforming in tune with its context was palpable and invigorating; it was fantastic to experience this discovery in the middle of the desert out of all places.

Photo: Samar Maakaroun

5. My Studio + Team at Right to Left

I recently came across a stat from 2019 that I found hard to believe, only 01.% of creative agencies are founded by women. I am not entirely sure of the accuracy of this number, but I sure hope that figure has improved today. No matters the odds, I thought it would be fitting to have as my fifth pick my team, especially Liz and Jacob who have been with me since the start and who trust my leadership and show up as their best selves everyday.

Work by Samar Maakaroun + Right to Left:

29 Words for 29 Letters is an experimental typographic index inspired by the process of working with two languages and bridging two wildly different worlds, while building brand identities. In this exercise, we chose one word for each letter in the Arabic alphabet, playing with the fluidity of meaning and translation. We believe language defines culture, and creates the concepts within which this culture shapes itself. The words displayed are chosen from our daily lives in London – mostly concepts, expressions, sounds, smells, thoughts, and ways of being that we often find ourselves explaining.

Brand identity for Majid Television in collaboration with Pentagram, andArt & Graft Majid is a TV and magazine for children that’s very popular in the Arab world, and belonging to a family of brands managed by Abu Dhabi Media. Between 2017 and 2019, I worked with Pentagram to rebrand the portfolio, Majid being one of them. Image from the TV package created by Art & Graft.

Multilingual Typographic experiments at Right to Left Our studio is multilingual – we speak fluent English, Arabic, French, Chinese, and Italian. Since we use a variety of scripts everyday as designers, we wanted to explore how these scripts compare, and create a place for the conversations we have around typography. So, we set up Type Map at Right to Left. In the image above are posters around rules of type, leading, kerning, modularity in Chinese and Arabic, numbers and meaning, and sometimes arranged marriages.

Pop-up Eid Card In this project we used the Kufi script with its highly modular and geometric forms, to turn typography into architecture using paper only as material. Bespoke letterforms, set around specific inward and outward folds and cuts, created our master blueprint for a pop-up card with the message happy holidays (عيد سعيد). The word ‘Eid’ sat on the top level, followed by ‘saeed,’ the second word which sat below, allowing the vertical panels to be the type, and the horizontal panels to buttress the message, Once the blueprint was functional, we combined multiple colors inside and outside to end up with a happy holiday card that uses no inks of printing. Photo: Chung Hin Ching

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.

Gallerist Amélie du Chalard has opened the doors of her incredible Paris home filled with collections of art and design, much of which is from Fritz Hansen. After discovering the Danish brand, du Chalard fell in love with Poul Kjærholm’s designs, and over time, has collected a number of his pieces that now live in her gallery-like home. The space was once a private library before becoming an artist’s studio, prior to du Chalard calling it home.

Du Chalard says: “My home is a reflection of myself and the way I want to live,” she continues, “so it is filled with art and furniture that are meaningful to me. Since I was 15, the only gifts I’ve received for my birthday have been artworks. Paintings, sculpture, photographs, textile; I connect with many mediums. I feel similarly about furniture. All the furniture I have tells a story, and I am very focused on a diverse array of textures, from wood to cotton to wool to metal.”

Poul Kjærholm’s work isn’t the only Fritz Hansen living in her space – several Arne Jacobsen Grand Prix chairs reside around the extended kitchen island that doubles as a dining table.

The main floor spans almost 1,100 square feet with massively high ceilings making it the perfect space for du Chalard’s impressive art collection. “I keep my walls white so that I can use them as a backdrop for artworks of different sizes and mediums,” she says.

One of Poul Kjærholm’s PK24 chaise lounge chairs makes a statement in the open living room.

The sculptural PK0 A easy chair (above) and PK25 chair (below), both from Kjærholm, round out the living room seating area. “It’s also important to note that although these pieces are sculptural, they’re also very comfortable. That’s something my husband is always reminding me is important! And it’s true. I think Nordic design often has both elements – aesthetics and comfort,” she explains.

Amélie du Chalard in her Paris home

Photography by Gaelle Le Boulicaut, courtesy of Fritz Hansen.

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.

For as long as we can remember, cooking with gas has been the preferred cooktop option for those of a more serious culinary bent. Gas ranges are popular for a multitude of reasons: they start up fast, deliver high BTU temperatures, and produce a visual element while cooking that is beloved by home and professional cooks. But today, the heart of the home – the kitchen – is evolving, with new appliances like the Wolf Induction Cooktop becoming part of the ingredients list for the recipe of luxury kitchens of the future.

Studies underlining the effect that gas stoves within homes have upon interior air quality have ignited discussions about the need to transition residential occupants away from gas ranges toward electric and induction cooktops, the latter a cooking technology that’s even faster to boil, heats as hot (on the consumer end; high commercial gas ranges can still produce extraordinarily hot temps), safe to touch even during operation, and simplifies ease of cleaning because of its continuous surface.

Wolf’s newest 30″ and 36″ Contemporary Induction Cooktops represent the high end of induction cooktops. Sparing no technological option, these ranges deliver everything that makes induction the wave of the future: precise temperature control with 17 power settings adjustable in half increments, energy efficiency, near instantaneous temperature response, and a full-color LCD touchscreen controls.

The completely flat color touchscreen might make you feel like you’re on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The controls permit precise adjustments in temperature and to set timers to separate zones. A double tap turns a zone off at an instant (another benefit of induction is the immediacy of heat being terminated from transferring to the cookware and ingredients).

And because a lot of cooking is really about monitoring ingredients as they cook for longer periods, Wolf has added mode settings to regulate consistent low heat for simmering, melting, and keeping warm without turning your meal blackened or scorched.

One knock against many induction cooktops is they require precise alignment between compatible cookware and the induction element underneath the surface. Misalign them even slightly and you might be waiting a lot longer for your pasta to boil (like forever). In addition to clearly visually outlining where to place pots and pans across the ceramic glass surface, Wolf has engineered a Bridge function to expand the cooking surface area, essentially combining two induction zones into one large one – a welcome option for cooking pancakes and bacon across a griddle, for an open roast, or to poach the catch of the day.

Secondary to the cooking experience is the bonus of integrating a flat ceramic glass surface into the kitchen space. Not only does this simplify cleaning and eliminate the grating task of keeping gas grates clean, but also leaves more surface space for prep work. We also think induction tops result in a sleeker and more contemporary kitchen, especially when paired with a downdraft ventilation system for a completely minimalist design. Consider us ready to give up on cooking with gas – and our decrepit 1970s O’Keefe & Merritt range!

Visit subzero-wolf.com to learn more about these new 30″ and 36″ Induction Cooktops.

Gregory Han is Tech 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.

Some scientists theorize comets traveling across observable space all originate from the same place, a distant region of our solar system known as the Oort Cloud. It is here where billions, or even trillions of pieces of icy material and rock emerge from the “cometary reservoir” to make an orbital journey occasionally past our small blue planet. It is this theory that inspired the Oort series of lighting solutions designed by engineer Jacopo Roda for FontanaArte.

Characterized by filaments of flexible LED silicone tubes encased in a ribbed glass cylinder, the collection draws inspiration from the innumerable icy space debris that make up the Oort Cloud. Like the astronomical region it is named after, the tubular elements of Oort can be turned into an infinite number of shapes and configurations to fit any space of every size and aesthetic.

Describing the collection, Roda notes, “Sinuous rectilinear and curved luminous paths allow the creation of a personalized and different lighting for every need: a moldable, flexible play of light that can be used in domestic environments and open spaces.”

For more information on the Oort lighting family, head to fantanaarte.com.

As the Lifestyle 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.

If floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are on your home design wish list, I suggest you add the versatile, functional, and inviting Herman Studio‘s Step by Step Ladder to it. Featuring a deep top step for extra safety and a wooden support bar for balance, Step by Step can be folded up and hung on the wall when not in use using an included small wooden hook, pulling double-duty as a decorative wall object.

Designer Jonas Herman of Herman Studio in Bosnia-Herzegovina shared, “This stepladder has two purposes: to provide optimal function when unfolded and in use, and serve as a decorative element when folded up and hanging on the wall. We wanted to create a functional ladder that would also have a sculptural effect in a room.”

Choose between natural oil treated and white oak treated European oak finishes.

An ultra-strong flag halyard line prevents the ladder from collapsing when in use and prevents it from damaging the wall when stored.

To learn more about the Step by Step Ladder, visit formandrefine.com.

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.

For this year’s edition of Milan Design Week, Italian furniture manufacturer Gufram and New York-based design practice Snarkitecture have unveiled their latest collaboration: the Sculpted Series, a collection of five domestic sculptures that blur the line between art and furniture. Although the collection appears to be hard and durable, as furniture is typically designed to be, they are surprisingly soft, composed of foam that’s been treated with a special paint developed by Gufram over 50 years ago.

The Sculpted Series includes a bookshelf, a bar cabinet, an armchair, a coffee table, and a low table. Handmade by Gufram’s skilled artisans, each piece starts out as a block of polyurethane foam, a material that visually replicates a concrete texture. After being sculpted, they are coated with Guflac® Ultra which makes each piece durable and weather-resistant while maintaining the polyurethane foam’s elasticity and softness. The collection, available only in black or white, rethinks what furniture “should” look like in a domestic space.

The Sculpted Series will be on view at Capsule Plaza during Milan Design Week from April 17-23, 2023.

Glossolalia #262

Coronado #61

I admit, I’m still slowly dipping my toe into the Metaverse, mostly because it’s a lot of new lingo to understand. But that hasn’t kept me from admiring and loving various NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and NFT artists I’ve come across – Jeres, being one of them. Every collection is different, yet equally as visually appealing. I find myself endlessly scrolling through each iteration of every collection more times than I’d like to admit on missions to find my favorites. I’ve realized that task is impossible so I just enjoy them all. They’re abstract, colorful, unique, and geometric, and most definitely, mesmerizing.

I’ve always loved Charley Harper’s work, especially the way he brought animals to life in his own stylized way. I’ve seen his work on various types of products, like prints, puzzles, and textiles, but I’ve never seen it on tile before until I saw Motawi Tileworks’ collection. The Michigan-based brand specializes in Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, and Mid-Century Modern designs, making Harper’s work a natural fit. They just added three new mini 3×3″ tiles to their already expansive collection and I fell in love with them! The Mouse, Grosbeak, and Chipmunk join a number of other mini tiles featuring Harper’s animals, each one more adorable than the next. You can hang the tiles on the wall or install them as you would any other tile. Either way, it’s a great way to continue Harper’s legacy long after his 2007 death.

Left: The Lucent Side Table Right: The California Table

I’ve always been a huge fan of Elyse Graham’s work, so I was excited to see she’s launched new resin tables. Elyse continues to push the boundaries of what resin can do and each time it’s truly exciting. It’s one thing to make a resin table, but it’s another thing to create colorful, abstract resin panels to then turn into sculptural tables. Watching as light softly passes through the more transparent areas is truly something to see. While they obviously provide function as tables, they’re beautiful sculptures that can transform any space.

They’re like a combination of a puzzle and a LEGO set, and I think they look pretty fun. It comes with everything you need to make a cool mini modern treehouse that you can sit on a shelf or at the base of a plant (acrylic stake included). It even has LED lights to make your treehouse light up which looks particularly cool when it’s in a plant. Overall, it’s pretty small at just 3.7″ x 4″ x 6.1″, hence the tiny in the name, and should take you about 2-3 hours to build. Sounds good for a rainy, low-key day. Plus, there are other models to choose from!

If you’re at all into art or illustration, or ever seen an “I Heart New York” t-shirt or bag, you’re probably familiar with the work of Milton Glaser. Still one of the most celebrated graphic designers of all time, Glaser, while most known for the above-mentioned ode to NYC, his catalog of work goes far deeper. He’s designed fonts, co-founded New York magazine, illustrated countless posters and album covers, and even created the trippy promotional ads for the final season of Mad Men. I’ve always been fascinated by his life and iconic work so getting to learn more about it in this gorgeous book featuring his work during the 1960s and 1970s is a yes from me.

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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.

If one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure, then UK-based design studio gomi’s efforts to transform 6 tons of LDPE plastic (aka bubble wrap, food packaging, and plastic bags) into marvelously marbled, minimalist portable Bluetooth speakers may prove to become a treasure trove for the design studio aiming to merge carbon neutral sustainability with audio bona fides.

Named after the word ‘waste’ in Japanese, the Brighton studio is launching collection one, a limited series of portable Bluetooth speakers swathed in a swirl of colors, a marbled design that isn’t merely aesthetic, but the result of incorporating plastic waste that otherwise would have festered for eternity in a landfill – the equivalent of 44 recycled plastic bags in every speaker manufactured.

A USB-C port permits the gomi speaker to fast charge while an AUX connection invites use with a myriad of audio sources.

Furthermore, instead of relying upon virgin lithium batteries to power their speakers, gomi collection one speakers use e-bike lithium batteries salvaged and reconditioned to see yet another day.

The limited edition collection features three colorways, with every speaker completely unique in their marbled design, a ‘one of one’ numbered edition – the design finish equivalent of a fingerprint. The 5.0 Bluetooth wireless speaker’s specs include an impressive 32-hour battery life and can also be used connected to a source via AUX input, as well the option to pair them to operate together.

Gomi co-founder and Chief Design Officer Tom Meades notes the colorful and vibrant design balances both an expressive art world vibe with a functional minimalism. “We think of our aesthetic as a collision between Dieter Rams and Picasso and it’s the fine balance between the two that can be seen in collection one,” says Meades. “Our obsession with circularity underpins this, taking the lead at every step in our design process.”

The brand’s core ethos is one that perpetually challenges the team to design products where the consumer is empowered to believe they’ve purchased an item designed to last, abstaining from the use of glue adhesive to permit for a more modular and repairable approach to consumer electronics.

Beyond simply using “sustainability” as a marketing tactic, gomi is backing up their efforts with the establishment of trade-in, repair, and product upgrading facilities. Each of the speaker’s 29 components can be easily separated and replaced or repaired, and Bluetooth connectivity can be upgraded.

Gomi’s ‘collection one’ is a limited run collection and available now for $389 exclusively at the gomi website in Panther, Ultraviolet, and Avalanche.

Gregory Han is Tech 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.

After a wait of three years, BZIPPY has released something new and exciting: the Ruffle & Clover Collection. Introducing ceramic vases, planters, and side tables in fresh new forms, the drop also includes the debut of new glaze, Birch. The unique option is an abstraction of chestnut brown colored textures on a rich cream colored surface for a one-of-a-kind appearance on every piece.

The designs of Ruffle are focused on the notion of “bringing edges forward,” a deft verbal description of the undulating movement. In fact, the shapes are inspired by collars, drapes, and bed skirts, capturing the crisp shadows they’re capable of creating.

“From a design perspective, I’m most excited about the different cantilever elements along the edges of the Ruffle series,” said Ziperstein. “The combination of lifting them off the ground with a small foot and the crisp shadows the edges cast fulfills my design fantasies for the BZIPPY line! I also love that they can be easily grouped together in different combinations.”

Meanwhile, Clover brings together the architecture of multi-level structures with antique perfume bottles to create forms that feel romantic yet solid. The shapes are measured but soft, emblematic of the BZIPPY language and style.

Founded by artist and entrepreneur Bari Ziperstein in 2008, BZIPPY is known for its experimentation and innovation with ceramics, along with engineering methods that challenge conventional notions of slab construction. All products are produced on site in a 9,000-square-foot facility outside of Los Angeles by a team of 12 full-time, highly-skilled artists, administrators, and technicians.

To learn more about the Ruffle & Clover Collection, visit bzippyandcompany.com.

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.