As long-time fans of Chef Francis Mallmann, we jumped at the opportunity to interview him for TASTE. Sure, as food designers we are fascinated by his theatrical cooking methods, his expansive contraptions dripping in spectacle, all while rooted in culinary history. But in digging a little deeper, it is clear that chef has more to offer us. His insight on listening to the planet, embracing mistakes, stopping to smell the Basmati rice… A chef full of passion, lessons, and willingness to eat with his hands, we hope to share the poetry of Francis Mallmann’s primal and honest approach to food and life.

What makes a food experience memorable?

What makes a good experience memorable is the spirit, art and inspiration of sharing. That’s the only reason to sit down and eat. It’s not about the food or the wine (if by the way they are both … Read the rest

Are Spring plans for your outdoor living space still in the inspiration phase? Ours too, but we have our eye on some bright new colorways for outdoor kitchens from Danver Stainless Outdoor Kitchens, Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens and Trex Outdoor Kitchens. Thirteen new cabinetry colors bring a shot of bold, unexpected color to an industry you might associate with plain stainless steel. These new additions bring their collective color offerings to a whopping 59 finishes.

Curated by the Creative Director of the trio of brands, architect and designer Daniel Germani, the colors build on current trends in fashion, art and the design world. “Color is emotion. Color is light. Color brings projects to life,” Germani says. “Many of these new hues push the design envelope and were selected to inspire homeowners to be bold and create a space that is both eye-catching and sophisticated.”

New colors to the … Read the rest

The kaleidoscopic sculptures of Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian (1922-2019) are currently on view at both locations of the James Cohan Gallery in New York. These incredible works hold thousands of mirror sections that dance like a diamond under a microscope. Ignited by your own abstracted reflection they offer an otherworldly surprise with every step.

Both locations of the James Cohan Gallery are worth a visit. The Tribeca gallery is the most dazzling, showcasing several large three-dimensional sculptures and the inescapable “Maze” works. The Lower East Side location dives deeper into Monir’s practice of works on paper along with additional mirrored works.

Born in Iran, Monir’s devotion to mirrored sculpture began after a visit to mirror mosaics of Shah Cheragh Mosque in Shiraz, Iran. Additionally involved and inspired by the New York art scene, her works dance between the principles … Read the rest

The following post is brought to you by Lexus and the new Lexus IS sport sedan. Our partners are hand picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design. Just as Lexus went all in on their new sport sedan, the designers featured here go all in on their passion.

Imagine this: you’ve been offered the opportunity to redesign, redecorate and completely reimagine a room within your home limited only by your own originality and efforts. The premise, while simple, presents an unusual challenge when offered to a professional stylist typically employed to realize other people’s aspirations. It’s somewhat analogous to asking an architect to design their own home or a chef to improvise a holiday meal for their own family – a straightforward request complicated by the reality that a creative’s most discerning critic is typically themselves. Ironically, a no limits, all in proposition … Read the rest

FUZL is a new crowdfunded start-up focusing on responsible, sustainable furniture from concept to construction and beyond. Every piece in their flat-packed plywood collection is made with 100% sustainably sourced materials within the UK, using a made-to-order model to cut back on production and transportation costs. The self-assembly bench, chair and table designs have been kept ‘tool free’, with no little parts to keep track of, as well as free of synthetic glue and varnish. Instead of nuts and bolts, they rely on specially designed QIK-Clips to hold each piece of furniture together. Yet another resource is saved with online assembly instructions replacing traditional printed pages.

By creating well-made furniture that can be refurbished over time, the studio is making their environmental design mark loud and clear. And when it comes to the furniture designs, we know you’ll appreciate the little details FUZL has included – … Read the rest

Mexico-based French designer Fabien Cappello has created a special collection of 15 large glass offcut plates for Hem, marking the brand’s fourth limited-edition decorative accessories collection in collaboration with Modern Design Review. The collection is punchy, resourceful, and inspirational, as it showcases the unique results from the process of upcycling and encourages us to rethink how we might use discarded materials.

Cappello, who lived in Mexico City and now resides in Guadalajara, was inspired by the street-style upcycling that was happening throughout the city. Using glass offcut pieces found throughout his workshop, Cappello instinctively creates playful compositions of color and form, highlighting the offcuts as the decorative surface pattern. Each plate is made from layers of colored sheet glass and measures nearly 14” in diameter. The colors selected in the final collection are based on the colors of the raw material available, fueling Cappello’s inventive creativity.

Cappello shares … Read the rest

Shantell Martin is a visual artist best known for her large scale, black-and-white drawings and collaborations with artists and institutions, including Kendrick Lamar, the New York City Ballet, Tiffany & Co., Puma, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, The Museum of the Moving Image and MoMA. Her current retrospective, NEW/NOW, is on exhibit at The New Britain Museum of Art through April 18, 2021. Shantell is passionate about advocating for Artist’s Rights and championing the work of other artists, while also exploring how art, design and product can work with one another to create accessible everyday experiences. These passions are the foundation and the inspiration behind her new collection, Line by Shantell Martin with The Whitney Shop. Her first art book is currently available in collaboration with HENI publishing, LINES, with text by Katharine Stout and an interview by Hans Ulrich Obrist. Shantell lives in Jersey City with … Read the rest

This week’s DMTV Milkshake guest is Jasmine Maietta, founder and CEO of sports lifestyle brand round21.

Jasmine Maietta is on a mission to remake the sports world. A former basketball player — and branding expert for brands including Peloton, Under Armour and Reebok — Maietta knows sports gear: regulation-orange basketballs, monochrome soccer balls, uninspiring ping pong paddles. With round21, she reimagines all that equipment as blank canvases for exceptional visual talent. The result: a limited-edition mini-backboard redrawn as a galaxy by former tattoo artist Cory Bailey — better known to sneaker cognoscenti as customizer Sierato. A ping pong paddle illustrated with a raised fist and the words “We Will Breathe” by Brazil-born, L.A.-based artist Adhemas Batista. And a basketball created by Maietta herself, in pink, yellow and a multitude of colors representing hope and positivity.

In this episode, we asked Maietta about founding round21, why it took so … Read the rest

Circular by Design, a monthly column by longtime contributor Katie Treggiden, explores the reuse of waste as a way to keep materials in use and bring the legacy of the linear system full circle.

London-based designer Yinka Ilori draws on his British and Nigerian heritage to tell new stories in contemporary design. He studied Furniture and Product Design at London Metropolitan University and began his practice in 2011, designing and making upcycled furniture. He now also works both on a larger scale, with recent installations such as Happy Street at Nine Elms, The Colour Palace at Dulwich Picture Gallery and Get Up Stand Up at Somerset House, and on a smaller scale, having developed a range of tableware and home accessories. We caught up with him to find out more about his breakthrough collection, If Chairs Could Talk, pieces from which have been exhibited at the … Read the rest

If you’ve been around awhile, you may remember that we featured designer David Weeks in our Where I Work column back in 2012. Almost eight years later we decided it was time to revisit his Brooklyn studio, which has since moved from its previous DUMBO location to new digs in Bed-Stuy. Here, Weeks designs and develops his diverse collection, including lighting, furniture, accessories, and even Cubebot® wooden robot toys. To see what else David Weeks has been up to, we headed to Brooklyn to check out the new studio in this month’s Where I Work.

What’s your studio/work environment like?

Appropriately unkempt. While I really appreciate a clean workspace, it’s not really in me. I inevitably start to gain some momentum at the end of the day and have a hard time tidying up. There are two dogs that are on part time retainers. They work alternating days … Read the rest