Displaying posts labeled "Sponsored"

While the world went through a period of political and social upheaval, every aspect of the status quo in Italy was about to undergo revision. Chairs were no exception to this change, either. Pierre Restany, an art critic, spoke about it at length in an essay that was published in 1986 in “Zanotta: Design For Passion.” He noted that people simply didn’t return from protest meetings or assemblies to sit in the rigid Louis XIV armchair, which was the fashion then.

Instead, the bourgeoisie stiff seating was switched out for ergonomics. The movement is now known as the Italian Radical Design, and three thinkers became prominent. They are Cesare Paolini, Piero Gatti, and Franco Teodoro. Together, these minds came up with the concept of a chair that could adapt to various situations by taking different shapes.

And thus, the bean bag was born. A list of the best bean bags available today has been published by Architecture Lab right here, but for now, here’s how the bean bag came to be designed.

Materials for the Bean Bag

Much like a pile of snow, or even water, these chairs could take different physical structures depending on the body of the person sitting on them.

Other Italians were thinking along similar lines but didn’t find much success. Gatti remembered in a 1988 interview that the first attempt was with water mattresses, but that turned out to be too hard. Then, there were inflatables called ‘pneus,’ which is French for tires. There too, the air led to rigidity and reduced comfort. The polyurethane foam followed, but it did not quite respond to the human body as one would expect.

Finally, the designers thought back to the old mattresses with chestnut leaves; something peasants used widely. Basically, a sack is filled with leaves and other such materials, so it takes the shape of the body. In this case, the reasoning was that balls or marbles, basically something spherical and small, could behave like a semi-fluid and mold itself to the shape of the body.

Although buckshots were considered, the lead turned out to be too heavy while the ping-pong balls happened to be too expensive. Finally, they hit on a usable material, foam polystyrene, which is used in heat and sound-proofing. Cutting open the envelope and pouring the balls into a vinyl bag was the first step in the right direction.

They were definitely getting close when it came to the design, but the bean bags hadn’t yet made their impact on the world.

Bean Bags Enter the Market

This only happened after Macy’s took an interest and the American store placed an order. Zanotta became the manufacturer they turned to for producing the bean bags. The real challenge was never coming up with the chair, but rather finding someone to manufacture it. Luckily, the stars were aligned when it came to Zanotta.

Marta Zanotta, the communication and marketing manager of the brand, recalls how it went down. Aurelio Zanotta heard the presentation, and within thirty minutes, he had ten prototypes made. His niece recognized how Aurelio was aware of the potential of the bean bag.

Combining his trademark audacity and far-sightedness, which always helped his business, Aurelio introduced the market to a product that was so out of the box that it became a design icon beyond disputes.

Bean Bags as Icons

As they say, the rest is history. After the order was shipped out to Macy’s, it also made its debut at the Paris Furniture Fair in January 1969. The grand event witnessed the Sacco, or the bean bag, as most of us know it, as an absolute icon of flawless design.

Since then, bean bags have popped up everywhere. You can see it in casual settings like a college dorm room and at places where fashion is carefully upheld. For example, Franca Sozzani, the late Italian Vogue editor, kept a bean bag in her Paris apartment, and it was covered in mink.

Now that it has been over fifty years, the bean bag feels more relevant than ever. In fact, fashion designer Raf Simons ensured that a suite of them was swathed in his fabrics when it came to Kvadrat. Zanotta even made waves in 2018 by opening its first US flagship store in Miami’s Design District. Obviously, it became a splendid affair, attracting people from the worlds of design and art to the Art Basel Miami Beach.

These bean bags cost around $530, which makes it a rather attainable icon, as compared to some other seating arrangements. After all, it becomes a price worth paying if one pays attention to what Restany had to say. The bean bag meets the general need to loosen up how people tend to live.

Final Words

Not just the bean bag, but its manufacturer too, has had a storied history. From being merely a design to being conceptualized as an icon when it comes to seating arrangements, it has been a terrific journey.

Bean bags have been around for over fifty years now but continue to be just as popular. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about its origins and the efforts that went into enhancing the ergonomics.

Do feel free to reach out to us and share your experiences of using a bean bag. Till next time, Adios!

There are thousands of different toys on the modern market, and everybody has diverse preferences. Both kids and adults like puzzles, building models, and simply beautiful toys and figurines. UGears is an amazing company that creates toys that combine different categories in one thing. Each kit is a puzzle that you put together like a wooden model. When the work is finished, you will have a gorgeous moving toy. These models are unique, and you will not find anything like them. Living in an era of mass-produced plastic toys, such building kits as those made by UGears become a breath of fresh air.

The company has a useful website with all possible toys in the catalog. They all differ in complexity, shapes and sizes, as well as the approximate time of building. Based on these features, it is easy to choose a toy for anybody from a five-year-old child to an adult experienced in building wooden models. All puzzles have unique designs unlike the majority of popular toys. Here, you will see such special and exciting things as trains, research vessels, a globe, different car models, a curvimeter, or even a butterfly with fluttering wings. The selection here is much more diverse and different from what we are generally used to.

Extraordinary Puzzle Toys by UGears Team

UGears creates an amazing experience for children of all ages, from five to ninety-five. If you want to have some quality time with relatives and close ones or relax by yourself, assembling one of these kits is a perfect solution. Each model has an estimated time of building that varies from 30 minutes to 16 hours. If you are a beginner, the simpler models are recommended. But even experienced model assemblers will find here amazing kits for themselves.

There are also some special models designed for younger kids. They are very simplistic and fun. Besides, these toys can be painted after building. Picking the colors and decorating the models is another fun activity for smaller children. 

Here is why the UGears toys are so good:

• High-quality wood – only the best quality materials are used in production. The plywood involved in making these toys is environmentally sustainable. This material is also sturdy and durable.
• Comfortable assembly – everything required for a complete puzzle assembly is already in the box. Just find a comfortable place to sit and lay down all the parts and start building. The model will stay together by itself without gluing pieces one to another.
• Play and learn – the mechanisms of UGears toys resemble real-life items. By building them yourself, you will learn the basic mechanic skills and obtain a better understanding of how these devices work. It is also a good source of creative inspiration for kids;
• One of a kind designs – the toys designed by UGears specialists always stand out from the millions of other modern toys on the market. All designs here are unique and intricate. Instead of a toy version of a real-life object, such as a train or a car, you receive a small mechanism that works exactly like its bigger variant. They are not just building kits but elaborate mechanisms that will teach you the basics of mechanics.

Great Customer Service for All UGears Clients

While being a Ukrainian company, UGears has been growing on the American market as well. To create a well-rounded experience for every client, it is essential to provide both great toys and convenient customer solutions. Here are some of the pros of buying from UGears:

• Free of charge shipments – receive your building kit with free delivery around the US. After placing an online order, your shipment will arrive within 2 to 5 working days.
• One-year guarantee – the UGears puzzles might contain many small details that can be accidentally lost or damaged in the process of assembling. It is especially common with small children in the house. If you need a part replacement within a year after purchasing, UGears will send you all the necessary elements for free.
• Special wrapping – wooden toys and models are perfect gifts for many kids and grownups, which is why people often buy UGears products as a gift. You can order a special packaging for the occasion, which costs only five bucks. A card with a personalized message for the recipient will be included as well.
• Guaranteed refund – if there is something you dislike about your order, UGears will either provide a full money return or a substitute kit. This offer is available only for thirty days from the moment of buying;
• Helpful customer service –customer support representatives are always ready to answer all your questions and help with any possible issue. There is a handy page with answers to the most common questions as well as a few different ways of contacting support if you still need assistance.

The prestigious A’ Design Award & Competition is ongoing for the 2020-2021 season and with over 100 categories the A’ Design Award & Competition is the worlds’ largest design competition. But it is not just an award. It is an indicator of quality and perfection in design, recognized worldwide, your design front and centre before design companies and professionals. Entries will be judged by an international jury panel of scholars, professionals and media members and the benefits to the winners are inspiring. The trophy, of course, an invitation to the gala night, a certificate of quality, inclusion in the prestigious A’ Design Award & Competition exhibition and the yearly ResultBook but even more importantly press, PR, introduction to industry professionals and companies and international exposure. There is still time to get entries in. You can register here.

Today I thought I would share some of the top winners in the Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design category (one of MANY categories that are included).

A’ Design Award & Competition is organized and awarded annually and internationally in a wide range of categories not just Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design but you know how much we love a great piece of furniture here on Desire to Inspire. You can see all the other winners here and if you’d like to register for 2020-2021 you can still do so here.

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This post is brought to you in collaboration with A’ Design Award & Competition.

Time is short. Have you entered the prestigious A’ Design Award and Competition yet? Once again we are sharing some of our favourites from  previous years’ winners and more importantly how you can enter your own designs. With over 100 categories the A’ Design Award and Competition is the world’s largest design competition. But it is not just an award. It is an indicator of quality and perfection in design, recognized worldwide, your design front and centre before design companies and professionals. Entries will be judged by an international jury panel of scholars, professionals and media members (you can check out the methodology here) and the benefits to the winners are inspiring. The trophy, of course, an invitation to the gala night, a certificate of quality, free sales listing at SaloneDelDesigner, inclusion in the prestigious A’ Design Award and Competition exhibition and World Design Rankings and the yearly ResultBook but even more importantly press, PR, introduction to industry professionals and companies and international exposure.

From the Good Industrial Design Award, to the Good Architecture Design Award. The Good Product Design Award to the Good Communication Design Award. The Good Service Design Award to the Good Fashion Design Award and so many more. Excited? Inspired? Ready to take on the best of the best design from around the world? The deadline for early submission is September 30 (yes that soon!) and results will be published on April 15. Of course we will be bringing you the results as well. You can find out exactly what the A’ Design Award and Competition is here and register here. Now on to some past winners…

Talento Unlimited Cabinet by Edoardo Colzani

Codependent Table by Fletcher Eshbaugh

Nina & Beni Chair by Andres Marino Maza

One Line Garden Furniture by Jaroslaw Markowicz

Acorn Leisure Chair Multipurpose by Wei Jingye, Chen Yufan and Wang Ruilin

Cloud Flows Residence by Hung-Yu Chen and Yi-Chia Kao

Lofting Apartment by Stanislav Zainutdinov

Living In The Light Villa by Ace Design Studio

Straightforward Journey Residential Apartment by Yi-Yun Chang

The Shades of Clouds Vacation Villa by Wei Ting Lin

With over 100 categories the A’ Design Award and Competition is the world’s largest design competition. But it is not just an award. It is an indicator of quality and perfection in design, recognized worldwide, your design front and centre before design companies and professionals. Entries will be judged by an international jury panel of scholars, professionals and media members (you can check out the methodology here) and the benefits to the winners are inspiring. The trophy, of course, an invitation to the gala night, a certificate of quality, inclusion in the prestigious A’ Design Award and Competition exhibition and the yearly ResultBook but even more importantly press, PR, introduction to industry professionals and companies and international exposure.

From the Good Industrial Design Award, to the Good Architecture Design Award. The Good Product Design Award to the Good Communication Design Award. The Good Service Design Award to the Good Fashion Design Award and so many more. Today I wanted to share my Top 20 winners from previous years … OK, OK actually just 20 of my hundreds of favourites over the years.

Seehof: A Garden Architecture Hotel by Noa

Malangen Retreat Family retreat by Snorre Stinessen

Grotto Sauna Freestanding Residential Sauna by PARTISANS

EN Skincare Salon and Store by Yusuke Kinoshita

Cliff House Weekend Residence by Masato Sekiya

Baan Dinner set cupboard by Mr.Paitoon Keatkeereerut,Chawin Hanjing

Banco Kitchen table by LA AGENCIA

MU’trans Home Accessories by MU’factory Cetti Davì/ Dario Feo

Creative Incubators Office space by Rui Zhao

Feiliyundi Sales Center by Weimo Feng

Haiku Hood by Fabrizio Crisà

Bo Du Resort Hotel Design Commercial by Zhang Can – CSD Design Office

Catzz Cat Bed by Mirko Vujicic

Stocker Chair, Stool by Matthias Scherzinger

Da Chang Muslim Cultural Center by Hejingtang Studio

Spot Multifunctional Sofa by Vinicius Lopes and Gabriela Kuniyoshi

Manshausen Hospitality, Sport, Hotel, Wellness/Spa by Snorre Stinessen

Hideaway Chair Children’s Chair by Think & Shift

Bamboo Breeze Exhibition, Communication by Chengzhe Zhang

Iconic Cloud Chair Rocking Chair by Pia Weinberg – Maison Deux

The competition is now open for entries for 2020/2021. Details can be found here. Registration information is available here. At the end of the competition we’ll be featuring some of our favourite winners so stay tuned for that!

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This post is in collaboration with A’ Design Award & Competition