When we feature kitchens in the magazine, there’s usually some styling and cleaning up that goes into the photos. Many of the everyday necessities are tucked out of sight in favor of something more streamlined. But this series of photos by Erik Klein Wolterink does the opposite. Rather than hiding all the necessary objects that make up a kitchen, he’s putting them on display.
Kitchen Portraits started as an attempt to look at the multicultural nature of Amsterdam and has since been turned into a book. For the project, Wolterink wanted to consider the contents of kitchens of homes from families who’d come to Amsterdam from other places, “to use the kitchen as a metaphor for a complex multicultural reality.” He photographed each cabinet and drawer, and then created a composite image of the kitchen which preserves the detail of every space. It’s fascinating and revealing to study this series.
{Images by Erik Klein Wolterink via Slate}
Learning about the Link Collective led me to one of their retailers, Brunswick shop Mr. Kitly. I love finding shops that introduce me to artists and products, and in that category, Mr. Kitly is a stand out. I spent hours looking through the endless pages of ceramics, beautiful garden products, and tableware. While the shop brings together artists from all over the world, a five-year stint in Japan helped shape the owners’ aesthetic and appreciation for artisanal skills. They hope everything they sell will be “well-used and kept forever.” I’m pretty sure if I were able to add any of these items to my home, they’d be just that.
{Images via Mr. Kitly from top Tom Dixon Form Bowls,
Bridget Bodenham Nutcracker, Tara Shackell Place Vase,
Stampell Fassett Wooden Vase, Bridget Bodenham Gold Handle Cup}
Joanna’s recent post about the perfect packaging for Mother’s Day gifts reminded me of The Link Collective, which produces beautiful furoshiki (Japanese wrapping cloths). The Link Collective was started by two friends living on opposite ends of the world; one in Japan and one in the US. They’ve invited other designers to participate in the collective as well, and the online network of women has come up with a handful of elegant, modern designs.
While their collective is very 21st-century, the methods they use to produce their products have stayed true to traditional Japanese techniques. Each furoshiki is hand printed by a family of craftsmen in Japan who’ve dedicated themselves to keeping their art alive. The Link Collective recently put together an online tour of the printing facility and the pictures and story are really lovely. While you could use one of these furoshiki to wrap a gift this Mother’s Day, I think it would make an excellent gift on its own!
{Images via The Link Collective}
While researching parts for a lighting project I’ve been contemplating, I came across the work of Brooklyn-based Bec Brittain. She has several beautiful lines—the Axial light, A Shades, and mercurial Maxhedron are all worth looking at—but the SHY Light is really a showstopper. Each fixture, inspired by crystalline structures, is a series of component parts including hubs and thin LED tubes. The parts can be configured and reconfigured to create a light that suits any individual space. And as Brittain puts it: “Like crystals, each can be different while sharing the same structural foundation.” The bulbs and hubs have a utilitarian quality to them, but the compositions are so elegant and beautiful.
{Images from Bec Brittain}
While we have some stunning green spaces in San Francisco, like Dolores and Golden Gate Parks, the parks I’ve been particularly excited about lately are on a much smaller scale. Tiny urban parks, or parklets, have been popping up along some of San Francisco’s busiest streets. Occupying space that used to be reserved for cars, I’ve come across several of these miniature oases outside of coffee shops and cafes. They provide a perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee and take a break from the usual bustle of the street.
Curious about where these tiny spaces got their start, I looked into the brief history of the parklet. From what I can tell, the movement began in 2005 when design studio Rebar installed a single parking space-sized park in a metered spot for two hours. That first installation led to Park(ing) Day, an annual event where people across the country create temporary parks in parking spaces. And from there, more permanent mini-parks began to take hold.
If you aren’t able to enjoy these particular parklets as a Bay Area resident, don’t worry. They are showing up in other cities as well, like the newly opened Logan Parklet in Philadelphia, which was actually funded through a Kickstarter campaign. And if you think your neighborhood could use a bit more green space, consider taking part in Park(ing) Day 2013 this coming September. It’s not too soon to start planning!
{Images above via SF Pavement to Parks}
{Image above via Logan Parklet Kickstarter}
