Elle Decoration South Africa » technology

Magno means “magnify”

heather moore — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:47:25 +0000

I spotted a pic of a little wooden Magno AM/FM radio in the ELLE Decoration UK, and thought I’d blog it because it’s so very cute. But when I started reading more about Magno, I discovered that there’s a whole lot more going on here than just a bit of cute.

The radios were designed by Indonesian product designer, Singgih S. Kartono, in response to a whole range of needs in his home village of Kandangan in Central Java. Home farming, the backbone of the village, was in decline due to agribusiness, and village life was suffering. Kartono decided to bring his experience of rural village life, his knowledge of product design, and his interest in Craft together, and Magno was born.

Now his village is sustained by the production of the radios, craft skills have been developed, and Kartono has also begun giving back to the land, replanting trees to make up for the wood used in production.

Design can be inspiring in so many ways, and this one is a brilliant example. Do read the Magno website, where Kartono explains everything behind his thinking, materials and production methods. You’ll see why Magno (which means “magnify”) is just the right name for this brand. And get yourself a Magno at SCP.

Issue 65: Solve finalists

heather moore — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:55:43 +0000

Ever since we announced the 2009 SOLVE New Talent Search – brought to you by ELLE DECORATION and Weylandts – there have been eager emails wanting to know when the winners will be announced. Well we’re not quite there yet, but we can (in no particular order) announce the five finalists, selected from 120 entries of a very high standard. The judges were Chris Weylands, Ravi Naidoo, Paul Pamboukian, Adam Hoets, and from ELLE DECORATION, we had Karen Roos, Doreen de Waal and Lauren Shantall weighing in.

The winner will be announced at a gala event on 5 November and we’ll announce it in issue 66. Now you decide: which of these beautiful lights do you think should win?

Carly Warren of BHC School of Design submitted the organically-shaped “Twilight”, made from rubber bands.

Stiaan Bester is a finalist twice over. First, for his “Dop” floor lamp (above) made from tanned leather, and again for his “Stack” standing lamp (below), inspired by layers of morning sunlight falling through a forest.

Micha Koren has made this delicately filigreed adjustable lamp on a slim stem, called “Mono-Pol-I” (above).

And finally, John Edwards of the UCT School of Architecture has used an unlikely source of inspiration: the noisy vuvuzela trumpet that all South Africans know so well from football matches. Edwards has made the “Vuvu” lamp from sustainable timber, and it is designed to be a pendant lamp or a standing lamp.

From the team: a brainy bunny

heather moore — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:26:12 +0000

Our art director Jo Skelton appears to have come down with a serious case of cute-itis. This week she’s sent us a link to an adorable little wi-fi rabbit called Nazbatag that can integrate every tech and internet facet of your life into his little bunny body. He’ll tell you the weather report, read out your emails, inform you when a friend changes her facebook status, and much, much more than that. Hop on over to the Nazbatag site to find out if you can handle having this know-it-all cutiepie in your life.