Has the world gone topsy turvy? You say no – and then the table you’re looking at suddenly shifts into an alternate dimension. The amazing transforming coffee table above is just one of the innovative, experimental, and boundlessly creative designs showcased at Sight Unseen OFFSITE during New York Design Week. Read on for a closer look at some of our favorite finds – from wooden doughnuts and cricket croquettes to coffee tables actually made from coffee.
Amma Studio’s sparkling geode-like tables are made from an unlikely material: Salt! The studio experiments with a variety of materials (including silica, sodium chloride, concrete, and ball bearings) to create sculptural furnishings with eye-popping textures and forms.
When Amma Studio designs a coffee table, they don’t mess around. This massive furnishing is actually made of Illy coffee grounds! A ring of blue concrete inlaid in the table’s surface strikes a colorful contrast to its rough roasted exterior.
Q&Q’s vibrant SolarSmile Watches were on of our favorite finds at the show. Each watch features a tiny inset solar panel that provides 3 months of battery life for every hour of sunlight (so they’ll virtually never stop ticking). The Japanese company also donates a portion of all proceeds to Table for Two, a non-profit that delivers meals to schools in Africa and Asia.
Field Experiments is an amazing research and development project that explores traditional crafts through a lens of cross-cultural exchange. For this exhibition Benjamin Harrison Bryant, Paul Marcus Fuog and Karim Charlebois-Zariffa traveled to Bali where they engaged with local craftspeople and materials to create over 100 designs that reimagine the concept of the souvenir. This colorful kite was created by a skilled kite maker from recycled plastic bags.
Look but don’t eat – even Homer Simpson would “DOH!” after taking a bite out of this solid teak doughnut. Field Experiments commissioned Indonesian craftsmen to carve this toothsome confection as a flight of fancy.
Plastic bottles last virtually forever – so why are they usually tossed out after a single use? Field Experiments covered these bottles with beautiful woven rattan shells to “give them longevity through the handmade process.”
What do you get when you combine a fishing net, a rock, and an industrial light fixture? A perfectly poised light sculpture that balances modern materials with the fishing traditions of Bali.
We had to look twice to realize that these colorful baubles are actually repurposed fishing lures! Field Experiments celebrates the beauty of these utilitarian objects with the simple addition of a silver chain.
Is the the future of food? We hope not. Chris Godfrey packed an entire 12 course meal into a can – including pickled kobe beef, risotto with foraged ramps, ricotta ravioli, and a French canele.
Mermelada Estudio’s delicate Dom Vase ensconces a small plant within a trellised 3D printed dome.
Inma Bermudez’s portable Follow Me lamp features a wooden handle so that you can take it with you wherever you go. Low-energy LEDs provide soft, subtle light, and a rechargeable battery allows the lamp to be used far from an outlet.
Ian Stell’s brilliant kinetic furnishings fluidly transform to serve multiple functions. Stell’s Chorus Stool is crafted from US-sourced walnut wood, and it can transform from a stool to a chair or rack by simply flipping up its legs.
Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao showcased a spectacular collection of colorful paper plants. Their delicately crafted creations riff on natural lifeforms with features at once familiar and surreal.
Plant-in City creates mini modernist homes for succulents! Their architectural planters are made from wood locally sourced by Heartwood.
Fancy a Honey Caterpillar Croquette? Ento wants to warm you up to the idea of eating bugs by making them every bit as palatable as the gourmet foods at your local specialty shop.
+ Sight Unseen OFFSITE
