It's that wonderful time of year again when Wallpaper Magazine is getting ready to announce their design winners for the year.Wallpaper* Design Awards 08 in association with Jaguar, does this yearly and they post the shortlist for the International Judges' Awards for each category.The winners will be announced january 10 -at which time I will share them with you, of course.In the meantime, enjoy the nominees for Best Domestic Appliance along with images and info not found on the Wallpaper site.They are as follows:1.Alpha TV by Brionvega:The elegant, 1930s-influenced curves of the ‘Alpha’ testify to the television’s elevation beyond technology to furniture status. The base, which holds a DVD player, is incorporated into the set’s sleek, chromed steel frame (no unwieldy stand required), while the fuss-free, die-cast aluminium remote control lies unobtrusively on the table when not in use.More images and information (not available on wallpaper.com):ALPHA CONCEPTThe icon, the past, the dream, the Italianness, the design and the future. Definitely too many meanings for a TV set. The bare necessary for ALPHA, the new generation of Brionvega TV sets.An LCD TV set with built-in DVD player, characterized by a design which reminds of the immortal decorative masterpieces of the Thirties: Le Corbusier, Breuer, Mies, Eileen Gray.Alpha is composed of two slender elements joint by a frame in chrome tube within which the special wirings are pulsing. A choice which comes from the rejection of the assumed bidimensionality of common LCD screens, always supported by a cumbersome pedestal, and which focuses on a new layout with the capability of containing the space required by electronics and DVD player. Even the remote control has attracted a lot of attentions: you perceive the quality of the entire product from the moment you hold it in your hand. Indeed, the material used is die-cast aluminum, not metallized plastic, you just have to place it upside down on the table to find once again all the Brionvega design.2.
Plus Minus Zero, a company devised by Naoto Fukasawa, released its fourth collection of everyday objects in July 2007. The pieces, which include a coffee maker, old-school digital calculators and this heater, have a distinct 1980s feel yet retain the brand’s iconic minimalism, thoughtfulness and quiet beauty. The small heater sits discreetly under a desk to warm feet.more info and images:Available in red, blue or black.Buy it here.3.Katamari 01 speaker by Gyanze
This is more than just a sleek, modernist design. Enclosed in a forged aluminium block, the built-in digital amp and speaker set offers a room-shaking 15 watts per channel. It switches itself on when it detects an input, can handle a Bluetooth signal and is built like a truck, weighing in at 5.6 kg. If you’re still prepared to travel with it, a wax coating keeps it scratch-free.more info and images:AC100V（50・60Hz）30W(待機時２W）W375×H116×D162mmBuy it here.4.L10 washbasin by Norbert Wangen for Boffi:The illustrious partnership between Swiss design perfectionist Norbert Wangen and Italian manufacturer Boffi continues to create dazzling results. The ‘L10’ washbasin, with it’s hidden brackets to support it on the wall and covered plug, is perhaps the most seamless sink to date. Made from a solid block of Carrara marble, it is also one of the most luxurious.more info :Name: L10 washbasinDesign: Norbert Wangen
Plus Minus Zero, a company devised by Naoto Fukasawa, released its fourth collection of everyday objects in July 2007. The pieces, which include a coffee maker, old-school digital calculators and this heater, have a distinct 1980s feel yet retain the brand’s iconic minimalism, thoughtfulness and quiet beauty. The small heater sits discreetly under a desk to warm feet.more info and images:Available in red, blue or black.Buy it here.3.Katamari 01 speaker by Gyanze
This is more than just a sleek, modernist design. Enclosed in a forged aluminium block, the built-in digital amp and speaker set offers a room-shaking 15 watts per channel. It switches itself on when it detects an input, can handle a Bluetooth signal and is built like a truck, weighing in at 5.6 kg. If you’re still prepared to travel with it, a wax coating keeps it scratch-free.more info and images:AC100V（50・60Hz）30W(待機時２W）W375×H116×D162mmBuy it here.4.L10 washbasin by Norbert Wangen for Boffi:The illustrious partnership between Swiss design perfectionist Norbert Wangen and Italian manufacturer Boffi continues to create dazzling results. The ‘L10’ washbasin, with it’s hidden brackets to support it on the wall and covered plug, is perhaps the most seamless sink to date. Made from a solid block of Carrara marble, it is also one of the most luxurious.more info :Name: L10 washbasinDesign: Norbert Wangen
Description: Washbasin in white marble with a linear aesthetic. Created from a sold block of Carrera marble, the basin is partially excavated and there is a rear space, with a single hole for the installation of a mono mixer tap. The water outlet is in the middle of the washbasin with a plug covered in the same marble.
The basin can be used both supported on a cabinet and free standing, fixed to the wall with brackets in steel that are integrated into the thickness of the block, and are, therefore, invisible.
Technical features:Material: white marble.Dimensions: h. 10 cm, l. 120 cm, d. 50 cm.Outlet positioned always central with plug covered with marble solid as the washbasin. Wall version load bearing brackets in satinized stainless steel. Equipped with syphon in chromium-plated brass.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5.Ora-Ïto Collection for Gorenje:A French designer with a Japanese name, a dropout genius and a provocative young creative whose work speaks of maturity, Ora-Ïto is full of surprises. His kitchen appliances for Gorenje, including fridge-freezers, ovens and ceramic hobs, blend high technology and simple functionality (what he dubs ‘Simplexity’) behind minimal façades in black glass and brushed aluminium.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------more info and images:Behind the Ora-Ïto brand is a creative young French designer whose provocative ideas ensured his rapid assent to the very top of the design world. At the beginning of his career he presented his designs and ideas for the virtual products, undersigned by known brands on his own website. People began ordering products which did not exist. Large companies like Louis Vuitton, Swatch, Apple and Levi’s, could have sued the young pretender but were so impressed by his designs, that they hired him instead.Ora-Ïto characterizes his recognizable style as simplexity; combining simplicity and complexity. His concepts are futuristic and provocative. Today, he designs for the world’s biggest brands, such as Heineken, Adidas, Ogo, Artemide, B&B, Cappellini, L'Oréal, Toyota, LaCie, Danone, Christofle, Ballantine's, Sagem and many more. He has received many awards, among which are ‘Oscar for Best Packaging Design’, for the aluminium bottle for Heineken beer, a ‘Janus award’ for the best architectural image of a Toyota building, and ‘Red Dot Design Award’ for Artemide lights.Go here to see more.
