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the first issue

All the nice stuff, in one place. Whether it’s furniture, lighting,

kitchen-wear or home related goods, you will find it here.

The Nice Stuff

p. 2

The Nice Stuff is the official spot for all things design, and all

things nice.

As a platform for publishing the latest and greatest, oldest and

boldest design work from in and around the design industry,

we aim to create a friendly and inviting community of design

lovers, thinkers and expressionists.

Design isn’t something that should be exposed, it is something

that needs to be expressed. To express design not only means

raising awareness of the latest concept creations, but also to

act as a root of inspiration, for future solutions.

The Nice Stuff is not only here to serve your interest, but as

the stage for design expression, inspiration and awakening.

p. 3

Inside this month’s issue

p. 4

The Monthly Highlight

Design Awakening

The Gallery

Get In Touch

The Interview Corner

The Monthly Read

(p. 1-13)

(p. 46-51)

(p. 14-35)

(p. 52-57)

(p. 36-45)

(p. 58-59)

1

4

2

5

3

6

p. 5

Submit your design

(p. 60-61)

7

The Monthly Highlight

HARU

Mikiya Kobayashi, HARU by KARIMOKU

2011

Chair

p. 8

Recognising the bold, blue and dense cushioning, or even the seductive, sloping

arm support would be the least attentiveness one could execute, to salute the work

of Mikaya Kobayashi, and the HC-2 chair.

Standing (or sitting?) upright, rigid with it’s four-legged composure and rich in

colour, this chair expresses a persona of maturity and dominance, setting itself,

noticeably comfortably, within it’s situated environment.

p. 10

With it’s heavily contrasting and oh-so striking combination of lightweight/top-

heavy compositional weight, the designer has undeniably created with a product

with a purpose of durability and longevity in mind. `

It is clear to say that Mikaya Kobayashi has injected this furniture piece with strong

intentions that it is one to stick around for a while; this is not something we could

possibly argue with.

p. 11

Placed effortlessly aside a brotherly furniture article, the HC-2 chair appears to

portray it’s self distinctively on two separate aesthetic spectrum’s.

At one end of the spectrum, thick-walled, block-like and geometrically strong,

bodily shapes deliver a dominating and sophisticated aesthetic; a product with

reason, to be attended with consideration and appreciation.

On the other end of the spectrum, accompanied by luxurious, swooping forms is the

soft and delicate touch of perfectly stitched, cushioned upholstery. Neutralizing the,

initially perceived, aesthetic rigidity, the wholesome and textured material opens

up a warming and inviting opportunity for engagement and product attachment.

p. 12

p. 13

The Gallery

p. 14

p. 15

Stacks

ALETI

2013

Lighting Installation

p. 16

Töjbox

WOUD

2015

Storage/Furniture Product

p. 17

Réaction Poétique

Jaime Hayon

2015

Home Appliances

p. 18

Kachi-Katah

Masamune Kaji’

2012

Furniture

p. 19

Light Walls House

mA-style Architects

2013

Interior Design

p. 20

Terraliquida

Claudio Silvestrin

2010

Furniture

STEM

Dubokk

2016

Household Appliance

p. 22

VIKTIGT Collection

Ingegerd Råman

2016

Furniture Product

p. 23

Kanban

Andrea Ponti

2016

Furniture Product

p. 24

BRAUN HLD 4

Dieter Rams for BRAUN

1970

Haircare Appliance

p. 25

Umbrella Stand

Thom Fougere Studio

2015

Household Appliance

p. 26

Timesphere Clock

MoMA

2002

Household Appliance

p. 27

Rock 8

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

2010

Shelving

p. 28

Dustpan & Broom

Hans Edblad and Tove Adman

2001

Household Item

p. 29

Ovanlig

Designer Unknown

2014

Bathroom Appliance

p. 30

TC6

Aldo van den Nieuwelaar

1969

Lighting Product

p. 31

Stick Table

Stone Designs

2014

Furniture Product

p. 32

Chandelier, model 2072

Gino Sarfatti

1953

Lighting Installation

p. 33

Incense Stand

MUJI

2014

Home Appliance

p. 34

Olio

Barber & Osgerby

2013

Tableware

p. 35

The Interview Corner

Cornwall based designer and maker, Heather Scott, works

mainly with wood to create a striking range of products

for the home. Typically using locally sourced Oak, Heather

also explores an array of materials such as steel, offering an

impeccably high level of craftsmanship. Heather’s primary

products are a number of well-considered sushi boards,

but she states, “While sushi boards are the most viable and

versatile. I want to move more into furniture.”

Heather Scott

Designer & Maker

p. 38

p. 40

Sushi & Serving Boards

Heather Scott

2014

Kitchenware

p. 41

“My parents told me I couldn’t have chickens unless I built

them a coop. So that’s what I did.” By only using the basic

tools her dad gave her, she managed to shape her passion for

carpentry. She humbly admits that she was lucky enough to

meet people that gave her the opportunity to work with them.

After volunteering for 2 years with a local wood worker, she

was able to start her own design business.

“Learning practically is what I wanted to do – I really just

wanted to be in the workshop. Working with your hands is

so intuitive. Wood has a natural beauty that speaks for itself

– it is really nice to discover that along the way. In a lifetime

of woodwork, you will never know it all. I have a consistent

opportunity to learn.”

“There is a difference in culture - In Scandinavia and Japan

there is a general appreciation and value for craft. I have

difficulty with designs that people are afraid to use – in

our culture that is a problem. Functionality for me is very

important. Something that people will actually use. If I see my

plates or boards in someone’s kitchen and they’re battered,

as long as they’re still working, that’s great. Scandinavian

design is often recognised for its ability to add beauty to

the everyday, in terms of aesthetics and functionality. In

somebody’s everyday they will have that moment of good

design – a moment to appreciate that. That’s vital to me.”

Why do you do what you want to do?

How would you describe and express your style?

p. 42

“For me, it’s just a matter of changing your measure of failure.

I don’t expect immediate success. Every penny I earn is poured

back in and at times it can be tough. I love being part of the

whole process; the making, the selling, marketing and even

the accounting. I thrive on the way of life down in Cornwall.

Despite occasionally missing the energy and city grit, I am

grateful of the beautiful surroundings. It gives me time to eat

great food and socialise – it’s a balance of good things that

really helps.”

What challenges have you faced?

Heather Scott

p. 45

Design Awakening

p. 48

This month’s design awakening focuses on the existence

of shapes within other existing shapes and how such a

simple assembly of forms can significantly impact the final

composure, expression and perception of a design.

What is shape? How many are there? What do they mean? How

are they made? These are just some of the many questions

raised in regards to the topic of shape; the compositional

arrangement of elements, to give something a visual and

physical identity. Shape exists everywhere, within and around

the world we live in. They also live within themselves.

It could be said that, when all of it’s lines are closed and a

solid state has been formed, a complete shape is the envelope

for external content. This could include colour, additional

shape or geometry, texture and purely a valuable meaning. A

complete shape is container for expression.

Shapes in shapes

p. 49

p. 50

Shapes can be found existing inside themselves via a variety of

approaches, due to the elemental arrangement of a product’s

composition.

There are those shapes which can found within the perimeter

of another shape’s outline. (In reference to the bottom left

image) Protected within the outline of the chair’s four-side

seating platform, circular geometry can be seen as a result of

the wood joinery. It could be said that the location of the shape

expresses a level of encapsulation, wholesome structure and

protection within it’s surrounding shell.

Secondly, there are those shapes formed into a geometric

formation via external element composition. (In reference

to the bottom right image and top image) The overall form

is based up on a diagonal compositional arrangement of

three four-sided (square) shapes. The three shapes have been

placed specifically in an overlapping manner and due the

diagonal formation, this has resulted in external geometry to

be formed. We are now presented with a total of six shapes,

of different size, situation and level. The intersecting and

penetrating positioning of the initial three shapes has created

a visual semiotic of strong connection, support, bonding and

unity within the product.

With a consideration for the symbolic connotations in which

shape structures, formations and locations portray, we can

apply the philosophy to our own design, thus producing

more meaningful design aesthetics.

p. 51

The Monthly Read

Phenomenology of Perception

Merleau - Ponty

1962

p. 54

In an artistic fashion,Ponty discusses phenomenology as

the experience of one’s own body or ones lived/living body,

the role of the body in experience and the significance of

the phantom limb. In relation to the ‘artist’, he expresses

thoughts of how the body is not in the mental or mechanical

physical realm, it is as it is, and develops his philosophical

understanding of the phrase: “I think, therefore, I am”.

With further reading, he develops an understanding of how

the human consciousness is embodied within the world and

how the body is infused with consciousness of the world. He

states that “not only does the body hold everything around it,

it is also an intertwining of vision and movement”.

In relation to the artist, he tells of how our body is responsible

for happenings of an experience. Just like a cat when falling,

movement it is not a decision made by the mind’s thought,

but by a decision made by its consciousness and conditioned

thought; movement is self-moved. When the artist looks at a

mountain, he does not appropriate what he sees, he merely

approaches it by looking, “he opens on to the world.”

p. 55

Super Normal, Sensations of the Ordinary

Naoto Fukasawa & Jasper Morrison

2007

p. 56

Both designers Jasper Morrison and Naoto Fukasawa, compile

a wide variety of everyday objects of which they believe to be

“Super Normal” and of “Super Normal Design”. On a quest to

find such species of products, both designs state that, in fact,

they already exist.

They are around us, we have seen them, and with much

likeliness, we have touched ,used and experienced them. It

is this experience which leads to the designers to expressing

their beliefs on the existence of the phenomenon that is ‘super

normal’. Fukasawa and Morrison state that it is located, as it

were, beyond space and time; the past and present of product

design both point to a future that has long since begun. In

simple terms, it would be the common and mostly anonymous

objects, which tend to go unnoticed and unrecognised, which

fall into the classified state of a “super normal” object.

Within the book, a diverse range of objects are displayed,

such as the likes of furniture, kitchenware, electronics goods,

and much more. With such a beautiful gallery, Fukasawa and

Morrison make “super normal” objects truly visible for us.

p. 57

Get in touch

p. 58

thenicestuffofficial@yahoo.co.uk

@thenicestuff

www.facebook.com/thenicestuffofficial

EmailInstagramFacebook

p. 59

Design Submission

p. 60

The Nice Stuff is constantly seeking new content to publish,

and welcomes submissions from all areas within the design

sector.

`

Whether you are a product, graphic or furniture designer,

architect or illustrator and you would like to see your work

published, send us an email with:

-Your Name

-Product/Project Name

-Product/Project Description

-3-5 Product Images (JPEG Format / Max 5MB each)

We cannot promise that all submissions will be successfully

published, but all submissions will be viewed and considered.

p. 61

p. 62

Disclaimer

The Nice Stuff does not, in any way, own or claim to own the

rights for any product image and gives full credit to owners,

photographers and those responsible for supplying such

resources. All images owned by The Nice Stuff are annotated.

We try to credit all images as much as possible (e.g. product

name, product designer, photographer), but it can be very

difficult to give complete credit to all content published.

p. 63