The kitchen of my dreams has come to life!

Hettich, a German diversified company group operating chiefly in the furniture sector, recently launched "Kitchen Concept 2015", forecasting what the kitchen of the not so distant future will be like. If you ask me, it looks good!

Their concept focuses on design, convenience, ergonomics, and multimedia networking. Their kitchen is designed to blend seamlessly in the home instead of being the center of attention. Various items such as the faucet, the fridge, the oven, all disappear when not is use.

In essence, using emerging computer technology, Hettich merged a sleek kitchen with computers, such as surface computing, and made it smarter. Below are examples of some of the features of this new kitchen.

The above cabinets can be lowered to any desired height and independently from one another.

The kitchen island features drawers that can be opened from either side. Even the dishwasher can be opened from both sides. How convenient is that!

Surface computing technology allows the user to check cooking time, temperature, see the inside the oven, and browse the internet on the surface of the cabinets. I wonder if you can also change the look of the surface of the cabinets as you would your computer desktop and change it, from example, from black to red or add a neat pattern for special occasions...

Surface computing is also installed on the island, where the user can perform the same tasks as on the surface of the cabinets, and control the size and temperature of the heating elements of the cooktop.

I can imagine a kitchen like this costs quite a bit of money right now, but it should be more affordable in 2015 :). Let's hope so.

source : Hettich | Hettich America

New M2JL STUDIO Website

After many drafts and revisions, I'm happy to report that the new and improved M2JL STUDIO website is finally online! Browse the site to discover various residential and commercial projects, read some comments from clients and learn about the new design and decoration services offered.

NOOK by Vial

NOOK is a neat and new little stool made from an innovative material called VarioLine, a material made of solid structural outer layers and a lightweight foamed inner core, resulting in a panel that is very stiff, impact resistant and exceptionally low weight. This makes the stool easy to clean, weather proof, water proof, impact resistant, chemical resistant and recyclable!

NOOK was created by award-winning designer Patrick Frey with a single sheet of VarioLine. It can be used virtually anywhere and comes in various color options. Currently retailing for 229€, the stool recently won the 2010 iF product design award.

NOOK is manufactured by VIAL GmbH, a family-run company with its headquarters in Germany that plans to continue to work with Frey. The plans for their furniture collection is for the collection to be guided by the principles of 'conviVIAL living' and to develop striking, weatherproof furniture that encourages a modern form of vibrant sociability.

These stools are a great and fun addition to any room in a home or office. For example, they would look great in the kids' section of a modern dentist office. Also imagine what a great impact they would make in a library, replacing the traditional step stool found there. Don't you think they're a lot more appealing?



source : VIAL

If I was a kid this would be my doll house

Finally a doll house based on modern architecture! Clearview, a modern doll house, was created by designer Elaine Shaw who also believes that traditional doll houses are out of fashion and it's time for them to reflect the lifestyle of today. I love the level of detail in her work. It's the first of several to come in the near future.







photo : metro uk

Comic furniture by ennezero

ORIGINAL POST DATE : 2008-04-01

I recently came across this cool line of furniture by ennezero from Italy. It’s not for everyone but it’s very original. It’s from a collection called Valentina, la donna è mobilewhere from the "theories of the [Artistic] Movement called Radical Design which began in the Sixties in Tuscany (Italy) before spreading in other parts of the world". I believe the designer is Giuseppe Canevese, an industrial designer from Italy.

source: ennezero

I would love to specify some of these pieces this in a boutique hotel. Imagine one of the black and white pieces against a bright color wall. It would definitely make a statement. Any volunteer?

Nest and Pod : The perfect addition to a modern home

It's nice to see an increase in modern pet furniture and accessories. Modernist pet owners no longer have to live with tacky items that clash with the rest of their home. They can now apply similar design aesthetics when selecting items for their pets. Gregory Kenny from Kilowatt Studio, a woodworker and designer from Vancouver (BC), created two beautiful modern cat beds that will look great in any modern space: Pod (shown above) and Nest (below), inspired by birds.

The beds are individually hand crafted in Canada, using wool, bamboo and organic cotton. So not only are they beautiful but they are eco-friendly as well. Another good reason to buy them is that a portion of the sales goes to the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association.

Of course, these cute beds can also be used by small modernist dogs.

photo : Kilowatt Studio

Working in a blob

dmvA, an architectural firm from Belgium, recently created this really neat mobile pod for the office of Xfactor Agencies. The goal was to build an office in the backyard of a residence, but their plans kept being rejected by the local authorities due to restrictive building regulations. Blob VB3, an egg-shaped mobile pod, was their answer to the rejection of their concept. By making it a mobile art piece that could be used as an office, the architects were able to get around the local codes and didn't even require a building permit.

This pod includes a bathroom in the back, a kitchen, a bed and a lot of storage spaces. I love that it looks like a giant egg. At 20 square meters (approx. 200 sq. ft.) it can be used as a office, a guest room, a modern take on a tree house, a camping shelter or a space within a space (like a conference room inside a loft office). Also, the fact that it's mobile makes it useful as an emergency shelter. There are so many possibilities!







source : apartment therapy | designboom | dmvA | Brecht
photography: vercruysse frederik, mick couwenbergh/rini van beek

Fluorescent light fixtures can be beautiful, thanks to Dominic Bromley

ORIGINAL POST DATE : 2008-01-18

We all know that light fixtures which use fluorescent lamp save money in the long run and that they are somewhat good for the environment (let’s not forget the mercury issue). Sadly, they don’t always look nice. Thankfully, designers are working on making them more attractive.

I recently came across this stunning pendant light fixture designed by Dominic Bromley. The fixture uses T5 fluorescent lamps. Inspired by the bait-ball phenomenon where fish gather around to create a large mass in order to protect themselves from predators, Bromley created a light fixture made of several bone china fish sculptures.

It's called Shoal. "Shoal 1672" is made of 1672 fishes and "Shoal 284" is made of 284 fishes. It’s quite ingenious.

Source: Scabetti

Happy New Year!

2009 was an interesting year. For M2JL STUDIO it was a year with a lot of changes that come with moving to a new city. This was accompanied by a new look for this blog and the birth of a new popular blog, Modern Ottawa (nominated by Ottawa Start as one of the "30 essential Ottawa blogs"), and being featured on three occasions in Je Décore Magazine amongst other things.

There's a lot of good things to look forward to for 2010, especially considering the fact that the recession is over. The new year has always been an opportunity to take on new challenges. So on top of establishing the business in a new city, I will be teaching at La Cité Collégiale and taking on the responsibilities of elected Program Director for the local chapter of CDECA. There are also a lot of new features planned for this blog. If there's something you'd like to see, let me know. I wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Thank you for stopping by and come back often.