Groupstalk

If ever there were a scenario whereby we were only allowed to live with the portfolio of one designer in our home, Jacob Jensen would be our choice, hands down. And strolling through the halls of the Skive New Museum of Art in Denmark one gets an impression of what it might be like as the museum is playing host to a retrospective of two generations of Jacob Jensen Design.

Pioneer of Danish functionalism Jacob Jensen, latterly in collaboration with his son Timothy, has produced some of our favourite items of industrial design. A retrospective exhibition of their most seminal creations marks a convergence of important dates for the family and company: last year Jacob turned 80; Jacob Jensen Design celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2008; and it will be 30 years since Timothy Jacob Jensen joined his father. The venue of Skive’s Musuem of Art is likewise significant given the Jacob Jensen Design studio is just outside Skive, in the village of Hejlskov.

The exhibition is called GENERATIONS, in homage to the two generations of Jensen that have created and established the world-renowned brand and, as design exhibitions go, it raises the mark in terms of scope and presentation across the three room span. What is astonishing is to see the sheer breadth of products the pair has designed over the six decades and how, when viewed together, they’ve honed their still unique style, applying a very recognisable, modernist stamp to everything from a bowl to a kitchen unit, from a mobile phone to an outdoor sculpture.

The Chronological Room: The Jacob Jensen Home shows over 500 products designed from the 1950s to the present day, arranged in such a way as to give the impression of walking through a home completely kitted out in Jensen design. The Location Room: The 11 Stars of Skive, shows a selection of images of 11 large sculptures mounted in Skive’s 11 traffic roundabouts designed in 2006. The works show a more conceptual side to the designers’ ethos, each telling their own ‘story’, connected by the designers’ drive to depict reality in new ways.

The final room is our favourite, The Creative Room, which charts the design processes of selected products from sketches, drawings, models and prototypes to finished products from the Jacob Jensen Design portfolio.

Designer: Jacob Jensen [ Via: Skive Museum ]

A company called Woogle Works (I kid you not) wants to make you feel comfortable with wearing an eye patch should you have to. Essentially it’s a butterfly decal you stick on the lens of your glasses. Something beautiful masking some that’s not. I think you’ll attract more attention wearing one of these than just a regular old black patch. Those stares could be “WTF” or they may just be admiring the trendiest pirate they’ve ever seen.

Designer: Wai Lam

Have you caught up with the new refrigerator design from UK designer Jasper Morrison? Famed for his sleek less-is-more functionality, Morrison brings a minamilist eye to the exterior of the new Samsung side-by-side fridge.

Two years in design, the new Samsung Refrigerator J-Series is intended to be the creative centerpiece of any kitchen and boasts a multitude of unique features that aid in food freshness and help increase energy efficiency.

The Samsung Refrigerator J-Series has a seamless exterior design that comprises a flawlessly flush flat door with hidden hinges, tower lighting and the sophisticated design of a tall dispenser. As with all of Samsung’s products, special attention was given to user-friendly features including a ‘Z’ shelf to maximise space usage and bottle storage, a visibly separate and more readable twin display, and a take out tray, ideal for serving cold meats and cheese during family meals or dinner parties.

“Design has taken a foothold in the modern home and appliances now need to exceed customer expectations and offer users an emotional experience,” said Jasper Morrison. “Working with Samsung was a great opportunity to partner with a company renowned for excellence in innovation and design and recreate one of the most important products in the home. The lounge is not the only room in the house where aesthetics are critical and this is the first product to meet the design demands of today’s style-conscious consumer and bring cool to the kitchen.”

Designer: Jasper Morrison [ Product Page ]

Doors can be fun. No seriously they really can. The Ping Pong Door functions just like any ordinary door except there’s an inner panel that flips down to make a ping pong table. Pop the little plastic net on and get your paddles ready. The only requirements are the adjacent rooms have enough room for you to play in. The only downside is one side of the door looks normal while the other is bright green. Try fitting that into your home decor.

For the handy and crafty, you could probably build this but for the rest of us, the Ping Pong Door goes on sale early next year.

Designer: Tobias Franzel