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Moody Monday Showcased in Shenzhen, China

It seems as though just yesterday we were (carefully) packing our elegant and contemporary wallcoverings, and shipping them over all the way to Shenzhen, the UNESCO City of Design!

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Three weeks and almost 6000 miles later, there they are, being prepared for display in the Edinburgh Creative Industries taking place in Shenzhen, China. The incubator opens in a very short three days, on Friday 15th May and we’re very excited our work will be displayed in the venue for the upcoming three months.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity of sharing my wallcovering designs with the Chinese market, as Shenzhen is a vibrant and creative city, which falls in line with the designs I create. I’m looking forward to find out how my work will be received in this new market!” Eliza Kesuma, the designer behind Moody Monday.

The designs that will be on display are part of our first luxury wallpaper collection inspired by the inner workings of a musical organ. Here’s what we’ve sent over:

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1. Geometry of the Sound, Reds on Black | 2. Black Keys, Black on White | 3. The Dance, R. Blue on Black | 4. Geometry of the Sound, Blues / Purple on Black

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Design Trends From Salone Del Mobile, Milano – Part 1

The Salone Del Mobile di Milano has recently finished, so we took a sneak peak to see what the latest trends in furniture design are. The first piece that grabbed our attention and won us over, are the root vases, created by Milanese designer Giorgio Bonaguro and produced by DRIADE.

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We think these are a brilliant execution of an ambivalent object: they combine a simple, clear glass cylinder on the outside, with an internal element of coloured glass imitating the roots of a flower:

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The creative vase is both appealing in design, and functionality as it can be turned and used either to hold one single flower, or flipped over, to hold a colourful bunch:

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The vases are made in blown borosilicate glass, and come in three lovely hues: yellow, green and blue, the central colours of nature, representing the sun, grass and skies. What a lovely touch!

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all images © andrea basile studio

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Bringing the outside, inside: nature in interior design

With nature coming back to life, we’re continuing to look for inspiration in the lively world around us, and how creative nature elements can be used in interior designs, to add to the uniqueness of the room.

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We were particularly drawn by this idea of bringing nature with into your living room. Essentially, we live surrounded by nature, so why not invite it in our interior spaces as well? This particular example gives the impression of having a tree growing out of your walls, bringing you a cup of tea! Refreshing!

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This creative 2-in-1 chair and coat hanger is both functional and aesthetically pleasing; it saves space by incorporating a hanger into a chair, and it mimics a tree with growing branches. This is a whimsical take on the fact that traditionally, chairs used to be made out of wood from trees. And even though this one in particular is made of alternative materials – moulded plastic or a type of steel or metal frame, it still keeps the connection to nature, by taking the shape of a tree.

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If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be a bird, this chair might take you closer to finding out. Taking inspiration from the shape of a birds nest, we imagine this chair to be a very cosy space, and another whimsical incorporation of nature into the interior space.

Do you use elements of nature into your spaces? We’d love to read your ideas!

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Using 3D in interior design – news from the Moody Monday Studio

We’re excited to share news form Moody Monday’s studio, on a collaboration we’ve been working on over the past few months. As part of a project initiated by Design Factory, Eliza of Moody Monday has joint creativity with light and paper sculpture designer Sharyn Dunn.

In this fusion, Eliza and Sharyn are looking to combine 2D and 3D in an almost sculptural piece, that will allow both designers to experiment with new materials, and work in new media: Eliza is particularly interested in developing her work in 3D, while Sharyn is passionate of pursuing further work in colour.

We’ve been keeping track of our progress on this exciting new project, and the photographs below were taken in the initial stage. The two designers have been sending designs, sketches and samples to each other, in order to agree on the direction to move forward with the project:

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The work is challenging and exciting, as Eliza and Sharyn are working collaboratively with a fair physical distance between them too. This has definitely made it a challenge to meet and exchange ideas, especially in such visual and tangible forms of work. Luckily, that’s been bridged quite effectively by the use of modern technology, over the Internet, digital photography, emails, Skype and the more old school postal service.

We’ve now moved further with the project, so alongside paper drawing, we’re doing a lot of print & pattern design and folding in our Edinburgh studio:

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We’re hoping for an outcome that will materialize as an accessible form of art piece (wallcovering or lighting accessories), by creating innovative, stylish objects with a practical end-use. In our vision, this product will add an artistic edge and personality to any interior space that’s looking for a contemporary makeover.

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The project, once finalized, will be displayed in an exhibition at the National Centre for Craft & Design’s Roof Gallery, between July – September 2015, with more details following soon!