THE SIBLINGS

The Siblings
A lamp family
Design: Frederik Delbart Design Studio
Company: PER/USE
www.frederikdelbart.be, www.peruse.be
           
Frederik Delbart’s The Siblings is a collection of lamps with a wood base and a transparent glass shade. The keyword here is clarity: in the form, in the function as well as in the modern LEDs that disseminate a pleasant light. You can aim the light beam thanks to the tilting glass shade. The light source creates playful reflections in the lamp shade’s clear glass cone. This accentuates the clean design and the contrast between the shiny glass and the matt wood base.
The lamps are the fruit of research in two different areas: on the one hand the desire to work with the aesthetics of laboratory glass and the use of contemporary light sources such as LEDs and OLEDs on the other hand. These two elements inspired the underlying idea, to which the designer attaches great importance: the fact that the diffuser also takes on a structural role as a lamp shade. The other formal choice was that the shade, which at first glance seems to be a glass object without a direct function because the mechanical part seems absent, would be able to “show” itself by being linked to other objects. In a sense the lamp shade already has a presence, but it is transformed in combination with its unidentifiable wooden co-objects, its “Siblings”.

15 HENRY VAN DE VELDE LABELS IN 2014

AESTEEM

Aesteem
Light switch
Design: Innodux bvba (Matthias De Buck and Pieter Stichelbaut)
Company: Innodux bvba
www.aesteem.com
 
Touching and swiping the interface. This is something we do every day. Aesteem has transposed this movement to the light switch.
You can feel and hear the movement by swiping with your finger over one part of the light switch, from the top downwards.   The parts return to their original position thanks to a patented sliding mechanism. A LED has been installed behind the buttons so you can easily find the light switch in the dark. There is a LED in every button. This helps the user remember which button he has used. 
 

WOODFACE

Woodface
Façade cladding
Design: Roel Vandebeek (Depot Roel Vandebeek)
Company: Outdoor Wood Concepts
www.depotroelvandebeek.be, www.outdoorwoodconcepts.be
 
Woodface is an innovative solid wood vertical façade concept that gives you the freedom to customise projects. The user can choose boards in three different widths and thicknesses and can combine these. These solid wood boards are always combined with a custom-made aluminium extruded profile, creating more context, content and possibilities for the architect and the end consumer. They can now create their own design by choosing in function of the width or thickness of the wooden boards, creating a unique façade every time.
The aluminium profile is available in RAL colours (with or without textured lacquer) or anodised. This allows you to not only choose your colour, but also offers the possibility of matching the RAL colour of the windows, doors, gutters or other flashings and finishing details on the building. In addition, the aluminium profile also exists with integrated LED lighting.
A special handy online tool has been developed to make random simulations of a Woodface façade, which also immediately calculates the cost.
It is easy to copy an existing profile in the wood industry. But it is almost impossible to do this with Woodface because Roel Vandebeek has added an aluminium extruded profile to the system. This protects the manufacturer from copyright infringements.
Woodface can be used both inside and outside. Round shapes present no problem. Woodface façade cladding is a closed ventilated system. 

TWINS

Twins
Decorative and functional ceramics
Design: Margot Thyssen
www.margotthyssen.be
 
Twins is the outcome of years of research by Margot Thyssen. She was unhappy with the distortion that is typical of the slip casting technique so she studied the multilayer slip casting technique. Thanks to her perfect command of this technique, she can now assess her temperature and cycle time to tweak transparency as much as possible. As a result the middle colour always slightly shines through the white porcelain and it seems as if a plane of colour is engulfed between the two white layers.
The outside is matt because this feels soft and pleasant. The inside is covered with a transparent glaze, adding a light grey glassy sheen to the porcelain. 

  
THINK IN COLOUR

Think in Colour, a kaleidoscopic view of Visionandfactory’s multifaced output
Book
Design: Hugo Puttaert, Visionandfactory – integrated design and Dimitri Jeannottat
Company: Graphius + Dioss
www.visionandfactory.com, www.thinkincolour.be
 
“Think in Colour” is a 380-page catalogue about the colourful work of the graphic designer Hugo Puttaert (b. 1960). The book is a visual journey through the work of this Brussels designer. Rather than providing a comprehensive overview, the book is a selection, a kaleidoscopic image of the multifaceted output of Visionandfactory. The selected works are presented along with texts that provide an insight into the studio’s history and processes and Hugo Puttaert’s views on the design profession. The motto “Think in Colour” is essential in this framework. This book is also an excellent illustration of this motto, with its cover in rainbow printing and hundreds of coloured pages. 

STOOL

Stool
Design: Caroline Voet
Company: Drisag
www.carolinevoet.be, www.drisag.be
 
Caroline Voet designed STOOL in 2010 as part of the interior of the artists’ loges in De Singel. This was the first time that she designed such a small piece of furniture. The stool is a new interpretation of the old milking stool.  The oak seat typically allows you to sit on it in two ways, a design feature which is enhanced by its typical curve. Because of its shape, STOOL has a very pronounced, somewhat stubbornly frontal character. It invites you to try it out.
You can also combine several STOOLs into a bench, if you arrange them alongside one another with the short side facing forward. The curved seat creates a continuous, subtle rhythm. 

SMAPPEE

Smappee
Intelligent electricity monitor
Design: Steven Dehollander, Pilipili
Company: Smappee nv
www.pilipili.be, www.smappee.com
 
Smappee is an energy buddy which offers a detailed insight into your energy consumption using a measuring point close to your meter box and an App for iOS or Android. Smappee is easy to install. Simply clamp the power clamp around the main power cable which runs from the household meter to the fuse box. Hang your Smappee nearby.
Smappee does much more than the existing energy meters. The appliance is capable of recognising certain consumption patterns of appliances. In the App these appliances have their own Appliance DNA. This shows the energy consumption as well as the duration of the usage and the cost associated with it. This will help you track down the energy hogs in your house as well as giving you a better idea of hidden power consumption.
You can switch appliances on or off remotely with the Smappee comfort plug, a wireless adapter between the wall socket and the appliance. You can switch off your PC for example when you are more than 100 metres from your home.
The casing is made of fully recyclable plastics. The designers avoided additional parts by using translucent materials. The top is white so the glow of the indicator LEDS can be seen. The user receives in this way feedback on the status of the appliance and this becomes at the same time a design feature. Naturally the volume was kept as small as possible. The product is easy to install and dismantle since no screws were used. 

REKTOR

Rektor
Lighting
Design: Bram Couvreur & Björn Devos, Couvreur & Devos
Company: Modular Lighting Instruments
www.couvreurdevos.be, www.supermodular.com
 
What is so unique about Rektor is that all the technical features have been integrated in the fixture. You can rotate the bulb holder 360° thanks to the innovative tilting technology as well as adjusting the spotlight 90° upwards or downwards. All without a single visible wire.
Rektor consequently has a stylish two-tone look. The lamp body always has a white or black structure, the accent is on the gear housing. You can choose from brushed aluminium, chrome or the new colour, smoked bronze.
Rektor’s sleek design allows you to create a symbolic line of light on the ceiling. This spotlight can be used on ceilings and walls. 

PIANO

Piano by Lithoss
Light switch
Design: David Dos Santos, Studio Dos Santos
Company: Lithoss nv
www. dossantos.be, www.lithoss.com
 
Often a light switch looks at first glance like a very banal element in an interior design. Piano has an attractive and somewhat futuristic shape, adding a decorative touch to a room. But Piano is much more than just an instrument to switch on the light or draw on the power supply. The design is based on a piano’s “soft keys”. Seen frontally Piano conceals the frame and has a minimalist, futuristic and simple design.
Piano means level in Italian. The switch has no visible frame; you can only see the buttons. This means you can switch seamlessly, both horizontally and vertically, with an endless number of switches. Piano is like a building block. 
 

NORDIC SPRUCE BOX

Nordic Spruce Box
Modular wardrobe system
Design: Atelier Ternier
Company: Labt
www.atelierternier.be, www.labt.be
 
The Nordic Spruce Box wishes to offer an answer to the ready-made wardrobes from large furniture stores. The designer took an industrial approach to this traditional product.
By combining the standard base with three different modules (a drawer unit, a middle section and a high cupboard) in six different colours, consumers can now create their own wardrobe. The wardrobe is sturdy, can be easily (dis)assembled and looks very distinctive. 

LINEA

Linea
Garden bench and garden table
Design: Jan Kuppers and Karen Wuytens (kuppers&wuytens)
www.kupperswuytens.com
 
Linea, a garden table and accompanying bench by design studio kuppers&wuytens, was devised to respond to the problem of storing outdoor furniture during the winter. Linea offers a solution for this. The table and bench consist of a set of and wooden boards. In the winter you simply hang the vertical sections on the wall, while stacking the wood, limiting the storage space to a minimum.
The table and bench can be made to measure because of the way the design is structured. The vertical sections can be easily (dis)assembled and moved. As a result, the length of the wooden boards determines the furniture’s overall size. The openings in the vertical sections are notched ensuring that the wooden boards are firmly clamped by attaching them with a bolt. This aesthetic detail also increases the stability.
Moreover the buyer can customise his bench and table by choosing a wood type, changing the furniture’s appearance. As a result the buyer also determines the price of the furniture.
The design was developed with a minimum of materials and production techniques, assuring its uniformity. This also means it can be locally produced. This is economically, ecologically and socially relevant in times in which the manufacturing industry no longer seems to have a future.

DAILY NEEDS

Daily Needs
A modular programme for gardening and keeping smaller livestock (chicken coop, vegetable beds, garden storage)
Design: Wim and Bob Segers (Studio Segers)
Company: Daily Needs
www.studiosegers.be
 
Daily Needs is a modular programme for gardening and keeping smaller livestock. A project that is socially, ecologically and economically relevant. Facilities to grow vegetables, to store garden tools, to keep chickens and so on.
The aesthetics and shapes of Daily Needs refer to the archetypical house shape.  
The product is made of Thermowood, a thermally modified type of pine from European forests. This wood makes the product look natural and gradually turns grey, while retaining a nice sheen. The substructure is made of black concrete plex. Daily Needs can be used in any natural surroundings, like city gardens, terraces and public spaces as well as in care or nursing homes because of the materials with which it is made.
The project had its beginnings in the DoDesign innovation project, in collaboration with MAD-faculty (Khlim/PXL), Design Culture Platform (Province of Limburg), IDE, Leuven-MRC and REcentre, and also through the support of the City of Genk and the Government of Flanders.

CANVAS

Canvas
Rug made of recycled canvas (army tents)
Design: Papilio
Company: Papilio (Prado Rugs)
www.papilio.be
 
Rugs made of recycled army tents.
Every rug is unique, every scratch an untold story. This CANVAS rug, which is part of the Memorial Collection, was designed by Papilio to commemorate our loved ones who died during the two World Wars. This specific rug was made of recycled army tents with a cross-stitch technique in leather. This Recycled collection was launched at the Domotex Trade Fair in January 2014.

BELGIUM XTRA BOLD

Belgium Xtra Bold
Book
Design: Sanny Winters, oeyenenwinters
Company: Lannoo
www.winterswonderland.be, www.lannoo.be
 
In Belgium – Xtra, Sanny Winters analyses Belgium in a graphical manner, showing 128 typographical gems in her characteristic style.  The book provides an unusual perspective on Belgian heroes, events in Belgian national history and the differences and similarities between Flanders and Wallonia.
After numerous brainstorming sessions with Flemings, Walloons and inhabitants of Brussels, she developed this quadrilingual book, which offers people the opportunity to see what’s happening on the other side of the fence and holds up a mirror to every inhabitant of this country.
Belgium – Xtra Bold paints a fun picture of Belgium, makes you think twice and provides an excellent graphic alternative to the many statements about this country. 

“AL SLAPEND RIJK WORDEN” (GROW RICH WHILE YOU SLEEP)

“Al slapend rijk worden”
Bed linens
Design: SLLD, Sofie Lachaert + Luc d’Hanis
Company: Verilin
Photographer: Jean Godecharle
Photo source: Tranches de Vie – Grand Hornu Images 2014
www.lachaert.com, www.verilin.be
 
These bed linens are the result of a joint project between the SLLD duo, Sofie Lachaert and Luc d’Hanis, and Verilin, a textile manufacturer specialising in traditional Jacquard weaving. They used a weave of flax and satin cotton in order to regulate the body temperature, increase the moisture absorption capacity and give the bed linens a pleasant feel.
The design on the bed linens refers to the play of water mark lines on bank notes. Transposing these complex designs into a Jacquard design is very complicated because each structure has to be transposed into an alliance with texture. Besides taking into account the technical properties of the machines, the designer also has to think about the stability of the joins in the weft as well as optimum colour rendering and the correct placement.
The design requires a new approach to Jacquard weaving. Here the woven threads become part of the concept. They trace the background with lines that evoke the graphic pattern of the bank note. The nominal value of the bank note has disappeared however, as a sign of the relativity of its value, the vanity of speculation, the fragility of power based on wealth. What remains is the intrinsic beauty of the coloured curves.