Rios Clementi Hale Studios (notNeutral) is a multidisciplinary design team based in hip and trendy Melrose in West LA, and specifically avoids “lowest common denominator” products. This kind of attitude is pervasive in their products, which range from garden accessories to tableware. We focus on the latter in this post; above: notNeutral’s limited edition Designers’ Gilt plates are adorned with familiar patterns ranging from lace doilies to spirographs that are further interpolated along a polar axis. The 12.5″ plates carry a high price tag at nearly $80, but that’s because the designs are made of 22K gold.

notNeutral’s more conservative casual china still skirts the edge of style with four designs: Leaves, Letters, Links and Circuit. Despite their rather mundane names, these self-contained works of modern art are difficult to find at any traditional retailer. Color combinations alternate between b/w and shades of green, blue and brown. The latter colors seem to be inspired by Nature; notNeutral, but perhaps “natural”.

Much more seasonal are the Studios’ trivets, which basically consist of two themes: Fall and Winter. Their “Fallin” Trivet collection bakes the intense reds and oranges of Fall onto leaf-shaped steel cutouts with neoprene feet, while “Frosty” is the more elegant of the two with beautiful and delicate snowflake patterns painted in shades of blue.

Although perhaps not as interesting as the china and trivets above, notNeutral’s placemats fit their role perfectly; subtle birch mats with cork feet are screen printer with their now familiar patterns, and then sealed to protect against food and liquids. Also available in coaster sets, these complementary tableware accessories have the innate beauty of woodgrain and the style of minimalist, rounded corners.

As a final touch, no dinner is complete without the comforting ambience of candlelight; 80% soy based wax candles are scented with 10% essential oils. The beautiful glass cups are decorated with contemporary botanical designs that include bamboo, sycamore and pomegranate, and come primarily in green with hints of baby blue. For more information on Rios Clementi Hale Studios, feel free to visit their website, notNeutral.

In the world of contemporary design, you could say that lighting designers have a bit of an advantage over their counterparts. Self illuminating decor, by virtue of its intrinsic energy output, tends to grab attention; in other words, pretty lights elicit “oohs” like nothing else. Above: Mathmos Design’s Aduki lamps are definitely in the “ooh” category, with an organic bean-like form factor and a soft-touch plastic shell that produces a gentle, diffuse glow. Both Aduki and its big brother Aduki Ni will smoothly transition through a gamut of colors. Packaged in a chrome-plated die-cast zinc base, these rechargeable lamps are designed for both outdoor and indoor use and are portable.

Mark McKenna’s Designer Emulation Kits (DEKs) are humorous homages to some of the most famous modern lighting designers. Similar to a plastic model kit, each DEK comes with a circuit board and snap-off pieces with which you can (attempt to) build replicas of renowned lamps by the likes of Ingo Maurer, Achille Castiglioni and Richard Sapper. A single 9V battery is used to power a bright LED light; at only $29, these are much affordable than their real-life equivalents.

Similar to the Aduki lamps above, Candeloo are portable, rechargeable lamps. Targeted towards children, the lamps feature two bunny ears and covered electrical contacts to make them appealing and safe for little hands–though, frankly I wouldn’t mind getting pair of these into my own very adult hands.

Buro fur form’s Molecular Lights (1, 2, 3) and Alexandre Berthiaume’s Kozom (bottom) simulate the arrangement of atoms into molecules; it’s been a long time since I took Organic Chemistry but I do believe some of these lamps faintly resemble sigma and pi bonds. A polyethylene shade is supported by an aluminum base, and are sold in table or pendant variants. Kozom takes the molecule theme to another level with a chaotic mass of inflated vinyl balls surrounding a light source, and is fairly spectacular in a reddish-orange glow.

Tord Boontje is taking over the world, and the Garland Light is just another example of his amazing work (we recently featured his Oval Table here). His patterns literally come to life in a 3-dimensional structure made from laser-cut metal. Available in brass, silver, chrome or rust finishes, this is a beautiful and exotic piece and not one to be missed at only $59. For more innovative lighting, visit gnr8.biz.

Via Cool Hunting: The guys and gals over at Vitamin definitely have a fun, playful spirit when it comes to design, and it’s downright infectious at times. Their Powder Seat is a an innovative way to turn your snowboard into a seat, with sleek chromed metal legs that attach to your ‘board with suction cups. The legs come in two varieties (tripod and arrow-shaped), both of which can be folded flat for storage.

Vitamin arguably has a bit of a plant fetish as well. From top: I.V. is a pot with an attached drip feeder, just like the ones you find in hospitals, while both Tab A and Tab B are two-piece pots that use your plant to cover up the sight and smell of cigarettes in the ash tray underneath. Lastly, X-Tray has a nice urban feel to it, with slightly sloping rectangular pots that can be arranged in a straight line, perpendicularly or in an L.

Spruce is one of the stranger combinations I’ve seen: a lamp integrated into a floor sweeper. I’m pretty sure this is a prototype at the moment as I do wonder about the usefulness of a top-heavy handle: it’s a bit cumbersome to have a lamp shade and light bulb in your face while you clean.

Vitamin also makes garden gnomes (of all things) which are much hipper than the traditional terracotta ornaments that decorate lawns. Styled after the squat, nubby toys that are popular in the urban vinyl scene, these bone china figures are adorned with a nice variety of graphic designs. Although they’re outdoor friendly, I probably wouldn’t leave them outside–we all know what kids like to do with gnomes (g). My faves are the glow gnomes that are available with an internal light: very cool, just like the rest of Vitamin’s goods.
vitaminliving.com

Maybe it’s just the professional photography–but New York-based Lorin Marsh’s line of furniture is infused with an architectural elegance that crosses the boundaries of traditional, contemporary and transitional furniture. Above: the metropolitan Plinth cocktail table is supported by two bronze monoliths with wide bases that resemble the load-bearing components of a bridge, while both the Eclipse and Handle Bar tables feature thinner, more wiry frames. The Eclipse is made from stainless steel, while the Handle Bar’s base is crafted from brown Parisian iron and topped with a limestone slab.

Wood never looked so good: the Solitaire dining table is a solid table with a pleasant mix of rounded and squared elements, and is absolutely stunning in glossy Macassar ebony. Simpler but more contemporary, the Cube is named after the slick lacquered wood block that sits on its stainless steel base.

Lorin Marsh clearly prefers an eclectic variety of materials; the U bench has a fairly basic design but is clad in textured metal to give it a more imposing, stone-like presence. Similarly, the Nesting Tables also look to be made from concrete or rock, but are actually wrapped in Mink goatskin with polished nickel hardware accents. Lastly, sandstone-like paneling on the Waterfall cocktail table is actually bleached goatskin, also accented with polished nickel around the underside.

Like prop pieces from a ritzy Art Deco movie, the Glam sofa and club chair have flared and vertically ribbed backs with smooth, rounded arms. Beautifully upholstered in metallic silver fabric and finished with dark wooden legs, these chairs are sophisticated and flashy – much like Hollywood celebrity of the 20s and 30s. The Tivoli game table and Jansen chest complement the Glam collection, as they are both sheathed in stainless steel and accented with classy gold and brass; with shiny furniture like this, it’s no wonder that celebs seem to perpetually sport sunglasses.

Significantly more subdued but just as classy, the Fretwork ottoman and Maze desk feature dark, geometric frames with. Both pieces highlight a playful tendency to form similar elements from fairly different materials; while the Fretwork’s frame is made from maple wood, the Maze is actually perched on iron legs.

Saving the best for last: the Laslo chandelier is a stunning 12-light fixture with fancy serpentine arms juxtaposed against a futuristic, satin nickel frame. This unique blending of contemporary and traditional design is classic Lorin Marsh. In an age of mass-produced me-toos, quality innovation–even if it draws on historical influences–is always welcomed by the discerning consumer.
lorinmarsh.com

The plainly named Shop of the Orient (SOTO for short) carries an intriguing line of decor with an unmistakable eastern influence. Above: The Aladdin and Panarch beds both feature complementary use of materials. The Panarch is a solid teak frame with padded water hyacinth panels on the headboard, while the Aladdin has a tightly packed water hyacinth frame with teak edging. Both beds have sleek bodies with restrained curves. Though an Asian design philosophy is evident, there is nothing “traditional” about these beds: they are contemporary through and through.

Also available are boxed candle and tea-light sets. The first bamboo vessel can also hold potpourri infused water or flowers, while the second set features an inverted bamboo plank that serves as an elegant candle holder.

Lastly, SOTO sells privacy screens with a wholly natural look. The first screen is a mat of bamboo sticks strung vertically inside a square teak frame. Slightly more contemporary is the Sarmart screen which is composed of alternating bamboo bundles and packed water hyacinth blocks. These are by far the most traditional of their products, but like all of SOTO’s products, they maintain a contemporary/minimalist appeal.
SOTO-UK.com

Tired of the same old lighting? While not new, Martinelli Luce’s serpentine lamps from the 1960s are sure to add a little zest to your decor. There’s a heavy dose of modern retro design in each of these pieces; the Cobra Table Lamp ($890) is classic Martinelli, with bubblicious curves and matte white resin. I love the swiveling arm – it allows you to switch from a spherical to a sinuisodal shape at a whim. The S-form in particular resembles an inquisitive, probing snake – it’s almost as if the lamp itself is alive.

If the Cobra seems animalistic, the Serpente Table Lamp ($980) and Serpente Floor Lamp ($1,499) are positively alien. The semi-translucent opal methacrylate diffusers that form the shade glow like something out of a 50′s B-movie, while the sinous neck briefly coils along the periphery of the circular base. These lamps don’t just light up your work surface–they seem to be intimately involved in your work.

For the more light-hearted, the Pipistrello Lamp ($1500) takes on a playful, plant-like shape with a four-lobed diffuser and cute, cone-like bases. The stainless steel segmented necks are functional, allowing the lamps to be telescoped from 26″ to 34″. Three of these lamps are actually housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York – so owning them would be like having part of the Permanent Collection in your own home. Way cool!
nova68.com