Seeing as he cut his teeth with the likes of Max Lamb, Studio Gilthero, Martino Gamper and Julia Lohmann, it comes as no surprise that designer Phil Cuttance is well-versed in materials and processes. “FACETURE” is a series of household objects that take a vaguely crystalline appearance based on a unique fabrication process. Each vase, lamp and side table looks is made by casting a water-based resin in a handmade mold:

First the mould of the object is hand-made by scoring and cutting a sheet of 0.5mm plastic sheet. This sheet is then folded, cut and taped into the overall shape of the product that is to be cast. The mould’s final shape, and strength, is dictated by which triangular facets I pop in and out. I do this each time I ready the mould for the next object, meaning that no two castings are the same. I then mix a water-based casting resin that is cast in the mould where it sets solid.

The resin is poured into the hollow mould and rolled around to coat and encase the sides, controlled by me on the casting jig on the machine. The material soon sets creating a hollow solid object. Then another, different coloured measure of resin is poured into the same mould, and swirled around inside, over the first. When it has set, the mould is removed to reveal the solid set cast piece.

The results look something like stalagmites from a virtual cave, though Cuttance notes that their origin is neither geological nor digital: “The casting appears with sharp accurate lines and a digital quality to its aesthetic, a visual ‘surprise’ considering the ‘lo-fi,’ hand-made process from which it came.”

But the real gem is the bespoke machine with which Cuttance creates “FACETURE”:

The FACETURE machine’s construction is simple and purposeful, screwed together to allow it to be flat-packed for shipping. Wheels make the machine portable within a working space… The shelving beneath provides storage for freshly cast pieces, and room for the casting stool to be stored.

The ‘hopper’ holding the Jesmonite powder is made simply from polypropylene sheet, in the same way as the moulds.

The casting jig at the back of the machine is simple and allows me to peer into the mould and control the flow of the fast setting Jesmonite. This means it is being cast evenly and economically, leaving a thin yet strong wall thickness. It can be attached at two different widths to accommodate different sized moulds i.e. vases or a table.

Korean artist and designer Seung-Yong Song, who studied and worked in France but is currently based in Seoul, recently sent us these images of his work. Part furniture, part art object, part art installation, they’re quite beautiful, as are the words that describes the concept for each piece.

Object-E: “The unique name of things limit the range of product’s shape and function, but above all, the fact that there exists stereotyped function in accordance with each unique name suppresses my imagination. I am not willing to deny or destroy the identity based on the stereotype, but I only reinterpret the uses I need in my own design language.”

Object-A: “I am looking in every nook and cranny of the room to find hidden spaces. Under the table, beneath the bed, above the wardrobe … All the space in the room is completely full of odds and ends. There’s no other choice. And I start building my object like the city’s tallest building seen from the window in the room.”

Object-B: “I climb on a chair. I put books on a ladder. If things are freed from their own unique functions, we might agonize over how to use this objects.”

8-Objects: “I do not bother myself with looking for the perfect space to my own body. I read, work, eat and also sleep in this. This space is warm and free. This is my own space that makes all I want possible.”

Object-O: “I have memories that I made a den somewhere in my house as a child – Under the table, in the wardrobe, and in the attic – I created my own base and felt relieved as if I avoided enemies that were actually non-existent.”

Rong: “I yearn for a nomadic life, traversing a continent and crisscrossing meadows. With setting a fire and pitching a simple tent, there will be soon their home. I try imitating them in my dark house. Rong’s wire is long enough to make me a nomad within the house. From living room to bedroom, bedroom to kitchen, kitchen to… There is no place it cannot reach.”

Boksh: “As the dogs in a pet shop’s window meet their owner, they finally have their own name and reborn as a meaningful existence. Boksh, in accordance with the user, may be an illumination, a table, a shelf, or could also be something else.”

Point: “The most simple, free-standing structure, grooves, holes, and magnets. These factors are good enough to draw acts such as hanging, putting in, or attaching.”

V4: “Lightness and heaviness, lines and lumps, smoothness and roughness, coldness and warmth… All materials and forms balance through the course of colliding and confronting within one volume.”

Designer and architect Reinier de Jong has just released the versatile REK coffee table. The table grows and adapts to your needs. For example, when you’re not entertaining, perhaps you’d like to close it up, but when guests come over, you might want to move the sliding parts outwards to accommodate extra drinks and plates. Or, you can keep the sliding sections and store magazines and other things underneath.

The problem with most light fittings is that they’re only about style: they’re the preserve of hipsters and interior designers. If you want something a little more geeky, why not make your own test tube chandelier?

This was actually dreamt up by Polish designer Pani Jurek and is called the Maria S.C. chandelier. In fact, it’s named after Maria Sklodowska-Curie, the the deservedly world-famous female scientist. But as they suggest over at MAKE, it would be fairly easy to put together yourself. You just need a ring or two of wood, an appropriately sized drill bit and a bunch of test tubes. Every home can cope with more test tubes, right?

Spanish company BM makes some of the coolest furniture for babies all the way through young adults. Their original designs are made for all types of young people and will grow with the child through the years until you’re practically married. The pieces have clean, modern lines and can be personalized in the color or colors of their choosing. You can mix and match the pieces depending on the room size and age of the child. All of the designs are contemporary and timeless, easily be transformed into the next stage when your child outgrows it.

Above, an example of a “Junior” set, which is from ages 12 to 18

Below: Baby (0 – 6 years)

Below: Kid (6 – 12 years)

Below: Junior (12 – 18 years)

In case you keep forgetting where you live, you might want to get a Custom Family Pillow with your address on it. Great gift for someone that just recently moved.

Dutch Most Architecture were commissioned by amsterdam company brandbase to design a temporary space for their new office location. the client wished to furnish the space with recycable material which gave the architects the idea to use pallets.

The pallet structure is designed in such a way that besides being merely a workplace, the entire element invites you to stand, sit or lay down on the pallets. this open office concept was created to suit the creative advertising agency, with an additional, informal atmosphere…