Thursday, September 23, 2010

100% Design - Made in Turin




Today the 100% Design Exhibition opens in Earls Court, London. It
is all about the best of contemporary interior design. The Turin based Design Firm ToDo will be there and will be presenting their new product SPAMGHETTO in the emerging talent showcase 100% Futures.

"Spamghetto is the inappropriate, intriguing, irresistible spam-based wall covering that turns the bad ideas flooding your inbox into patterns of insight into the human nature.
Comically misspelled offers of love and enthusiastic advice on how to get rich, fast: most people like their spam filter to spare them such nuisances, but at ToDo they are cherished as a testimony to the humanity of our emotions, the universality of our deepest desires. Before someone finds the way to ban this blip of fun and inspiration from our everyday correspondence, ToDo has decided to give spam a new outlet with Spamghetto, a print-on-demand, “green” FSC-certified, non-woven wall covering that has won international recognition with a Silver Award at the 2010 European Design Awards.
The process is just as fascinating as the product itself: ToDo created a generative software that feeds on spam’s enticing claims, creating mesmerizing, subtly offbeat digital patterns in which one striking offer leads to the other in a compelling, unique design.
Depending on the original spam material and on a handful of possible customization options, Spamghetto could have infinite variations. But typically, taking a closer look at its volutes and sprouts, you will find easy money, easy women, easy solutions to any problem.
Spamghetto is something very, very different from your Grandma’s wallpaper."

Go and have a look, I think it is pretty yummy and not only Made in Italy but 100% Made in Turin!

All photos and descriptive text © ToDo 2010

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Vintage Italian Tea Towels








For years I have been using these wonderful tea towels at my mother-in-law’s house. The illustrations I think were done by an Italian illustrator called Milvia and the towels given as a promotional gift by a company selling household goods, (sorry…, but I can’t be more specific than that). Milvia I suspect is the illustrators name and not the name of the company who produced the towels. I also have no idea how old they are, I think they’ve been drying pots for quite some time. My “Milvia” searches on the web have so far come up with nothing.

Although these towels are a bit of a mystery I really love them, the colours and illustrations are great and the handwritten typeface is superb.

Venerdì… giardinaggio, translated means “Friday… gardening”, such a wonderful dress and hat with a gorgeous balcony in flower.
Lunedì… bucato, translated means “Monday… washing”, it’s a shame that this towel is in bad condition as the face is lovely.
Domenica… trattoria, translated means “Sunday… restaurant”, I just love the headscarf and shoes!

Obviously I have now re-valued them and have stopped using them to dry the dishes. I am also on the hunt for the other four days of the week!

For more heavenly tea towels to buy, catch up with this great site, to dry for.