Studio Ulanowski Designs a Penthouse Apartment for a Jewelry Designer in Hong Kong

Located in London’s Covent Garden is a playful penthouse apartment designed by Studio Ulanowski, who gutted the interior for a fresh start. The homeowner, a jewelry designer based in Hong Kong, wanted a more open space and for the design to work for her family’s evolving needs.

The layout was redesigned while new windows and doorways brought about new views and a light-filled interior.

The custom kitchen cabinets continue down the long wall in the living room to form a storage cabinet with the same bright blue color, which helps ground the room. Additional cabinets in white create a sophisticated juxtaposition.

A perforated staircase was made by Joseph Waller Fabrications and it leads to the upstairs master bedroom.

Underneath the stairs is a piece of neon art designed as a collaboration between Jochen Holz and Malgorzata Bany.

The master bathroom is outfitted with cedar wood walls and slatted screens used for privacy. Handmade Moroccan tiles behind the sink vanity pop against the surrounding wood.

The bathroom vanity can disappear behind sliding panels when not in use.

Photography by Michelle Young.

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Stitched in the desert: Iota’s Products Are Made by Bedouin Women in the Negev

A home interiors and accessories company is providing jobs for Bedouin women who aren’t allowed to hold employment outside of their home. Tal Zur, CEO of Iota Hand Stitched, speaks to Design Milk about why they think “soft furniture” is the next home design frontier, how they found themselves in the Negev, and where their designs are going this summer!

Tal Zur, CEO of Iota Studio. Photo by Or Kaplan.

Design Milk’s Keshia Badalge at Iota Hand Stitched in Tel Aviv, Israel.

“If you want a product that is straight, where all the sides are equal, the color is all the same, then that’s not us. Our products are alive,” Zur tells us as we sit in her studio in Tel Aviv. And sure enough, her studio emulates that same liveliness, with hanging swings, chunky-knit rugs and pillows and shelves full of colorful yarn, specifically put together by a colorist on their team.

Inside Iota Hand Stitched in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo by Or Kaplan.

These home accessories are not only delight to look at and plop down onto, they also tell a small but proud story of Bedouin women empowerment. Bedouin women are traditionally not allowed to hold jobs outside of their home. They spend most of their time on domestic chores and taking care of their children.

Zur first learned about a group of Bedouin women working with a designer in Jaffa in Tel Aviv. Through him, she was able to slowly get introduced to the women and gain their trust.

Now, Zur and her team go to Hura, a Bedouin township in the Negev desert, to teach Bedouin women how to crochet and make Iota’s home products. Not only have they created a home-based industry in the Negev where women can work, for most of these women, it is their first opportunity to earn an income.

Bedouin women making products for Iota Hand Stitched.

Zur says, “When they finally have some money that is their own, it makes them confident, it makes them feel important. They can make certain decisions at home, like picking clothes for their children. It sounds so simple to us but to them, it is a big change.”

TouristIsrael and TouristJordan bring people to visit some of the more accessible Bedouin communities in Israel and Jordan. “I don’t think it is good or bad to live as a Bedouin woman,” Zur says, “but it is important for these things to happen, for people to see, for communities to understand each other’s culture better.”

In 2017, Iota was tapped by the car company Peugeot to make a special line of car mats for their concept car. Peugeot had asked for grey mats, but Zur remarked, “What we do is colors!” So, in trademark Iota style, the team tagged their samples of grey with their signature, colorful yarns. Peugeot did not miss the gesture, and responded by asking Iota to mix pops of color into their yarn.

“You know how people started talking about everything slow…slow food, slow fashion,” Zur said, “We think that the next generation will be soft. Soft furniture. Soft living.”

Grey Pouf. Photo by Or Kaplan.

Design Milk’s Keshia Badalge at Iota Studio. Photo by Or Kaplan.

Zur also told us that they just got an update this week that the Black Forest swing is hanging in Tom Dixon’s new office.

Iota Hand Stitched’s Black Swing. Photo by Noam Preisman.

Photo by Or Kaplan.

This summer, Iota will be hosting knitting parties in London and New York to launch their DIY bag kits. The philosophy behind this, Zur says, is “to make your own things, to do something slowly. It is social as well, in that we believe making things that you own and use is good for you.”

DIY Bag Kits. Photo by Noam Preisman.

DIY Bucket Bag. Photo by Noam Preisman.

Crochet tote bags. Photo by Noam Preisman.

To make one of your own, sign up on this list to be informed when an Iota knitting party comes to your city!

This studio visit was made possible by Vibe Israel, a non-profit organization that organized this year’s Vibe Design Tour.

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The Lofree Digit Number Pad Adds Up to a Touching Experience

Lofree embraces the nostalgic with a catalog of delightfully colorful and rounded technological accessories reflective of space age era optimism. One of their upcoming designs continues this propensity for the playful – a sidekick to their popular clickety-clack keyboard, the numerical Digit Number Pad designed as both a partner and stand-alone calculation device.

Depending upon color (available in white, red-orange, and light aquamarine) the Digit Number Pad represents an aesthetic convergence of Dieter Rams’ iconic 1987-era designed Braun ET66 calculator with a Speak and Spell. The Digit Number Pad is designed to operate as a stand-alone calculator like its Braun predecessor, but unlike any 80s-era calculation device, this one also features Bluetooth connectivity allowing it to work in conjunction with any modern computer, tablet, or smartphone.

The retro design isn’t just aesthetic. The Digit Number Pad is designed to deliver an auditory and tactile mechanical experience, with old school membrane switches underneath each numeral in lieu of the paltry short-travel of butterfly keys ruining touch typing in the modern age. In use, this means the press of each sizable key delivers a satisfying sound and feel, aiding in faster and more accurate typing.

Lofree currently list the wireless Digit Number Pad as a “coming soon” offering, with a sign-up for notification about availability listed at the bottom of this page, with the promise of an early bird discount upon launch. If the Lofree Instagram feed is any indicator, expect to see the accessory becoming available sooner than later.

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Business Photography and Lighting with Kate Zimmerman Turpin

The following post is brought to you by Squarespace. Our partners are hand picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.

Ask any professional photographer and they’ll tell you, using the right kind of lighting is key to capturing the underlying mood, tone, and setting of every photo they’ve ever shot. If you’re curious, just have a look at some of the images you’ve taken on your own smartphone and they’ll tell the same story. Building your own business is a lot of work, much of which revolves around how it will be perceived by your customers – creating a strong launch, mastering your online brand, and having a powerful logo design are just a few of the pieces. But then there’s the photography element, a true visual imprint of just what it is you’re putting out there into the world, and it needs to be on point and done right the first time around. Get some help looking like a pro from the get-go with Squarespace and their award-winning site templates. Their easy to use platform allows you to create an impactful, stylish, and easy-to-manage online presence so you can share your brand with the world.

Kate Zimmerman Turpinis an Austin-based photographer with a focus on product, food, interior, and fine art photography known for her strong use of natural light and shadow. She knew from a young age, even through seasons of insecurities and doubt, that being a photographer was what she was most comfortable with and wanted to spend her life doing. I fell in love with photography when I was around 12, following my baby brother around the house and convincing him to pose like the subjects in Sally Mann’s or Keith Carter’s images. I became obsessed with the darkroom in high school and then decided to study Fine Art at the University of Texas,” Zimmerman Turpin said. With the help of Squarespace, she’s been able to create a stunning portfolio site that showcases her best photos and helps to acquire new clients.

Zimmerman Turpin honed in on the niches of food, still life, and travel photography simply because she enjoyed working quietly and on her own, something I think many small business owners will be shaking their heads yes to. She says, “I liked playing with compositions, making them balanced or unbalanced, experimenting with textures, and doing it at my own pace.” While her favorite category tends to change with the seasons, Zimmerman Turpin currently favors still lifes in her personal work and interiors in her business.

As with any creative medium, Zimmerman Turpin uses different approaches to achieve the lighting look required for the various types of photography she specializes in. “For food and product, I always like to set up next to a window, usually in the morning or evening. For a more moody look I like having only one window as a light source, and blocking off the rest of the window light to create deep shadows. If I’m looking for a soft look, I’ll set up a white sheet over the window to soften the shadows. For spaces, I like to photograph when the natural light is at its best in each room. As for travel, I like to wander around in the morning, late afternoon, and evening to avoid harsh light,” she said. There’s also plenty of room for experimentation, usually involving full sunlight or interesting shadows.

While Zimmerman Turpin’s photos are undeniably beautiful, sometimes hiring a professional isn’t in the budget for a small business, so we asked her for a few tips and tricks to use when shooting on your own. “My first bit of advice would be to achieve the achievable, keep it simple. If you’re doing product photography, find a clean backdrop you can keep going back to and put it next to a window for consistent light. Remember, less is more – don’t over style. And don’t over edit with too much of a filter!” She recommends using only natural light and turning off all other light sources in the space, getting as close as possible to your light source (aka window), and using a reflector for the best end results.

However, some projects are going to require a pro, so if you’re looking to spend money wisely what should that go towards? Zimmerman Turpin suggests saving your dollars to use for your site’s photography. An impressive banner or cover image makes a huge first impression and will be well worth the professional photography investment in the long run.

We love Squarespace’s site design customization options and price point, and their users do too. “I chose my design based on the suggested designs for photographers. I wanted a clean gallery format on most pages so I didn’t do any personal customization, but I did play around with creating new pages and then adding a gallery on them. It gave my site design a slightly more organic, less organized look which I prefer,” said Zimmerman Turpin. Squarespace helps her run a stronger, more streamlined business from end to end and offers an aesthetic that aligns with her photography. “I love how I don’t have to spend a lot of time and money on hiring somebody to create a design that works for my business. Squarespace already has the clean and minimal look that best accentuates my photos.”

Ready to get to work on that branding? Take the first step and create a website or buy a domain name with Squarespace. Use coupon code DESIGNMILK at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

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